Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) apps are great tools for students with speech, language, and communication difficulties, autism, as well as for students with a variety of mobility challenges. These apps have also become much more common in recent years, where 10 years ago dedicated AAC hardware was much more common. Among the growing number of AAC apps available today, SymbolStix Prime stands out for its focus on symbol-supported communication and accessible language supports.

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Laura (name changed to protect privacy) has her own house cleaning business. She has hearing loss and tinnitus, and this can make communicating with her clients difficult, particularly when they are soft-spoken. “I have troubles hearing precisely what they are talking about,” she shares.

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For many students with diverse learning needs, traditional news sources can present significant barriers. News2you, developed by Everway, addresses this challenge by delivering accessible, curriculum-connected news content designed specifically for students who benefit from additional literacy and communication supports.

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Scott is a self-employed handyman contractor in the Okanagan. He does maintenance and small renovation projects for rental property owners and homeowners, as well as work as a subcontractor. New to the industry, he’s in the early stages of building his client base.

“I’m half deaf in one ear due to injury,” he shares. “This has negatively impacted client relations and safety in the workplace where communication prevents accidents.”

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In this episode of our AT Help Desk podcast, “We Have Solutions,” Seaver Stafford is joined by Nakia Singh. They talk about the AT Summit, Legere Reading App, and the 1X NEO home robot.

Listen on Amazon Music or Spotify.

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Debbie is a media and marketing strategist, and the founder of her own company, which provides contract work to about 20 other freelancers across BC and beyond. Much of her job involves work on the computer — including doing spreadsheets, analyzing data, writing reports, drafting proposals, and engaging with the ad accounts of her clients social channels.

“I have a visual impairment that has made it very difficult to see fine detail on the screen,” she shares. “It slows down my work which limits how many clients I can bring on and how much work I can generate for my partners.”

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Last May, after many years of volunteering in her community, Lynn began working her first paid job in 23 years as a library assistant at the local library in Fort St James. She has a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair, needing an accessible vehicle to commute to and from work.

“Earlier that year, my accessible vehicle was involved in an accident, which significantly impacted my independence. Without reliable transportation, everyday activities — including volunteering — became difficult and unsustainable,” she says. “I knew I needed to return to work in order to purchase a new accessible vehicle and regain my independence.”

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Lena works as an ESL teacher. Her duties include helping the students practice pronunciation, providing guidance and feedback, and managing the flow of class, all in a noisy and fast-paced environment. She has hearing loss.

“Without my hearing aids it was extremely difficult for me to communicate efficiently with my students, understand their comments and questions, as well as help my students become confident while speaking, because they were not sure if they made any mistakes every time I could not hear them,” she shares.

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We’ve looked at task management and to-do list apps in the past, but we haven’t spent a lot of time looking at apps that are designed to promote independent living. CanPlan was designed specifically with people who have cognitive challenges in mind, offering a way to complete everyday activities by breaking them down into clear, manageable steps. The app was designed with a variety of individuals in mind, including those with brain injuries, dementia, Autism, Fetal Alcohol, Dyslexia, and a variety of developmental disabilities.

CanPlan is a step-by-step photo-reminder/planner app that pairs simple instructions with a variety of prompts. Users can choose from photos, text, and optional audio prompts in order to guide individuals through a variety of routines like making a meal, completing household chores, or getting ready to leave the house.

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On the latest episode of our AT Help Desk podcast, “We Have Solutions,” we review the Youlearn.ai app as well as Dragon Anywhere Mobile, and discuss the upcoming AT Summit taking place in February. To register for the AT Summit, click here.

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