Katherine Swarts – BridgingApps

BridgingApps Featured App | GoodMaps Explore

Traditional navigation apps are designed for drivers. While many include “public transportation” and “walking” options, the typical assumption is still that the user can read street signs, identify landmarks, and otherwise see where they’re going. It’s only recently that navigation…

Client Success Story: Growing and Learning with Down Syndrome

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. Our BridgingApps Digital Learning Specialist, Tara Rocha, shares the story of one client’s journey. We first met Sarah Brhlik at Reese Technical Center (Fort Bend ISD), in an 18+ transition program taught by…

mom and young man wearing hats and smiling at camera

BridgingApps Staff Picks | Cristen Reat on Down Syndrome Apps

From our Co-Founder and Program Director, Cristen Reat, a selection of recommended apps to help meet the challenges of Down syndrome.

How to Recognize and Avoid a Scam

Scam: (n) a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation. (v) (1) to deceive and defraud. (v) (2) to obtain something, such as money, by a scam. –Merriam-Webster.com Such dictionary definitions don’t begin to capture the emotional pain of realizing one…

Word Prediction or Word Intrusion? When Software Has Its Own Vocabulary

Today’s digital world is full of apps routinely telling users what to say next. Help or nuisance? It depends. When Word Prediction = Assistive Technology Sometimes, word prediction/auto-correct is not only helpful but essential to daily functioning. Says Andi Fry…

BYOC (Bring Your Own Captioning) for Conference Speakers

Like many forms of assistive technology, screen captions have gone mainstream. Many people with typically functional hearing are turning on the captions for a variety of reasons: private viewing in public environments, poor sound quality on individual devices, or just…

Report from Net Inclusion 2024

(Note: For purposes of this article and in line with NDIA practice, “inclusion” comprises all human-diversity categories, not just those related to disability and accessibility.) Billed as “The Nation’s Premiere Digital Inclusion Conference and Community,” the annual Net Inclusion event…

Field Report: TCEA Convention 2024

The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) held its 2024 Convention & Exposition February 3–7, in Austin. The following material comes from Tara Rocha, our BridgingApps Digital Learning Specialist, who also presented the workshop “Reading with Tech: I’m All Ears.” TCEA…

Client Success Story: Small-Business Owner in Training

Walter Prescher, BridgingApps Digital Navigator, shares the story of a client’s journey finding the best digital options to manage a small business and expand her career. Q: For many people today, the best work-from-home option is a business they build…

Assistive Technology in Schools: Top Things Every Parent Should Know

How much do you know about your child’s right to use assistive technology (AT) in school? The U.S. Department of Education has recently issued new guidelines, published this January as Myths and Facts Surrounding Assistive Technology Devices and Services. Here…