We recently created a video comparing some of our favorite AI research tools. Soon after releasing the video, one of my colleagues mentioned a new AI research tool that had recently been released, and I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed by this app! So, without further ado, let’s explore another incredible AI research tool!

Google Notebook LM is a brand-new AI research tool based off Google’s Gemini 2.0 chatbot. As of right now, only the browser-based version of the app is available to try, but the mobile version of the app is coming soon. In fact, users can currently pre-register for the mobile version of the app through the Google Play store.

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Cheryl works full-time as a booking clerk/secretary in the health care sector.

“I have conductive hearing loss. It was gradual, and then seemed suddenly I had severe hearing loss. I had great difficulty hearing information,” she shares.

Her hearing specialist referred her to WorkBC Assistive Technology Services for help funding the hearing aids she needs for work.

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While there are lots of ePub (electronic publication) and other digital book sharing apps out there already, sometimes you or your student might want to create your own digital book. Or perhaps your favorite book isn’t available in a digital or accessible format.

Book Creator is an ePub creator app that allows you to create and publish your own accessible content with ease!

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Our team in Burnaby marked six incredible years of WorkBC Assistive Technology Services today with a well-deserved celebratory lunch.

Since 2019, over 7,800 British Columbians received over 9,950 employment related disability supports through WorkBC Assistive Technology Services.

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May is Speech & Hearing Month in Canada. It’s a time to shine a spotlight on communication health and the life-changing work of Speech-Language Pathologists and audiologists.

Many of us take communication for granted, but speaking, hearing, and being understood are essential to daily life. For those with communication challenges, even simple interactions can be difficult — impacting work, education, relationships, and overall well-being.

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Cheng is a senior consultant for a cross-cultural communications consulting firm, where his role involves facilitating focus groups, consultation sessions, and online interviews. He also works on-call as an interpreter. His hearing loss was making both roles difficult.

“I have difficulties with hearing pitch and tones of individuals who are speaking to me especially in noisy environments. I was finding that I can only hear part of the conversation or speech. As I need to take notes and interpret verbatim, it is very challenging when I am unable to hear the whole [conversation],” he says. He notes that he often can’t interrupt to ask for clarification, and the fact that much of his work takes place over video calls rather than in face-to-face meetings also makes it even more difficult.

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Today we are doing things a bit differently!

In our first-ever video episode we test the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of AI chatbots and research tools including ChatPDF, ChatGPT, AI Scholar, Google Scholar, and Claude. If you are looking for tips on how to research with AI more efficiently, then this episode is for you!

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Liam is currently obtaining work experience and looking for employment in the communications sector, while undergoing career training. He was motivated to switch careers because of an injury.

“I have a severe neck injury which makes getting to and from places very difficult, I am re-training so that I can find work from home or hybrid positions,” he shares.

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Studying with flashcards has always been an effective way of preparing for tests. And now that this approach to learning has been “virtualized,” students with different learning styles can be more easily accommodated. Not only that, but many of these apps offer extensive libraries of user-created quizzes that can be accessed for free.

Quizizz is a free flashcard app for browsers and iPad that has a lot of great learning content to offer within one program. In fact, the app offers so much that I would consider it to be more of a “virtual learning platform” than a simple flashcard app. Of course, the app does offer flashcards, but it also offers full lessons, assessments, passages, and interactive videos. And within each learning category there are thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of activities to choose from.

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Douglas is employed as a Marine Field Research Scientist on Vancouver Island, working from small vessels conducting research on marine birds and their prey.

“Hearing loss requires me to use hearing aids in the field for safety reasons,” he shares.

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