Hey Bestie! Language is constantly changing. New words are added to official dictionaries every year. And many of these words are considered slang. A quick internet search will show that words like “bae” and “yolo” have been added to many…
Category: Advocacy
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Today marks the 28th International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The United Nations’ work in this area is predicated on the idea that “all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated ” (Vienna Declaration, 1993). None of this can hope…
AAC Awareness Month: Diversity, Access, and Representation
This year, October feels especially important. The US is getting ready for the presidential election and people with disabilities are looking for ways to vote safely during a pandemic. We continue to grapple with the challenges posed by racial inequity.…
College & AAC
AAC users can be found in many professional fields. They may be writers, physicists, computer scientists, or social workers. Some of these areas require a college education. We invited Mark Steidl to share with us some of the strategies he…
Complex Communication Needs and Safety
The world feels very unpredictable these days. It is urgent, especially under the current circumstances, that we keep our non-speaking adults from having adverse interactions out in the community. Ongoing unrest may combine with ableist assumptions to make adults with…
Covid-19 Core Communication Boards: A Free Resource for Medical Communication
Updated 03/25/20 to include a User Guide (below) Imagine landing in the hospital and being unable to communicate. It is important that we are ALL able to talk with our doctors and medical providers. Especially now with the challenges of COVID-19, we need to find the…
AAC MeetUps Online: Together at a Distance
At TechOWL, we have a monthly meetup for people who use augmentative communication. Many of our past ACES participants have become regulars. Each month, we look forward to learning new tech, troubleshooting device challenges, and talking AAC. We are now…
AAC Community 2020
At the risk of sounding sentimental, I cannot believe the year is drawing to a close! We have so much to do in advance of 2020. Many projects are in the works at TechOWL, such as webinars and trainings, to…
ACES 2020: 30 Years of Communication and Community
TechOWL is excited to announce the dates for ACES 2020! Join us July 25-August 7, 2020 to create, connect, and celebrate! ACES, Augmentative Communication Empowerment Supports, is a 2-week intensive training program and on-campus experience at Temple University for young adults…
AAC Posters
I love October. AAC Awareness Month is a chance to shine a light on this topic that we care so deeply about. I enjoy getting to see all the wonderful posters, gifs, and memes. They help to remind us of…