Katherine Swarts – Page 24

Anniversary Celebration: 10 Years Since BridgingApps’ First CTAF Grant

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is a leader in “changing people’s lives for the better” via technology, and in advocating for diversity, economic growth, and STEM education. Its affiliate, the CTA Foundation, advances the mission by funding digital-inclusion projects geared…

Celebrating Halloween with Disabilities

Halloween is traditionally a time for sweet snacks, dressing up, staying out late, and pretending to believe in ghosts. But for many kids with disabilities, such activities are the opposite of a good time. Especially when mixed with noisy crowds…

“High-Functioning”: Blessing or Curse?

You may have heard of “high-functioning alcoholics”—people who work steady jobs and seem immaculate in public, but become cranky and ill at home if they miss a regular dose of wine. If someone hints their drinking is “a bit much,”…

STAFF PICKS: Alejandra Gonzalez on Bilingual Apps

For our latest Staff Picks list, Alejandra “Ale” Gonzalez, BridgingApps Digital Navigator, shares her favorite educational/alternative-communication apps that are usable by Spanish as well as English speakers. TD Snap AAC is a communication app that easily switches between English and…

National Bullying Prevention Month: How to Be Part of the Solution

Not that long ago, bullying among kids was treated as just one of those things you have to “learn to live with.” Kids who complained were called oversensitive. Parents who complained on their children’s behalf were labeled overprotective. And for…

graphic image with text emergency preparedness checklist

Home Emergency Preparation for the Special-Needs Household

This post is dedicated to October as Fire Prevention Month. Emergency preparation is an essential that too few people are proactive about. One Liberty Mutual survey found that fewer than 3 in 10 families had ever had a home fire…

Retired Service Dogs

For the disability-affected person who seeks companionship along with practical assistance, the service dog is far superior to any inanimate tool. But though it’s a hard fact to face with any companion animal, a service dog is also likely to…

STAFF PICKS: Daryn Ofczarzak on Augmentative and Alternative Communication

October is AAC Awareness Month—AAC standing for “Augmentative and Alternative Communication” or, in lay language, apps and tech devices for people with speaking and/or writing disabilities. Daryn Ofczarzak, Speech Language Pathologist at BridgingApps, shares her five favorite AAC apps below.…

The World of Cerebral Palsy

Today’s post is dedicated to World Cerebral Palsy Day, Thursday, October 6. Cerebral palsy is one of those disabilities that everyone has heard of but few (outside of the 17 million families who personally live with it) really understand. Ask…

open laptop with male hands using trackpad

ESGH and Current Events: Digital Inclusion Week 2022

Happy Digital Inclusion Week (October 3–7 in 2022)! Since 2016, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) has been working to raise awareness of the digital divide and to promote digital literacy. What Is Digital Inclusion? For those new to the…