Category: Events

Tech Tools for Life Goes Hands-On in 2026!

Post author By Arlene Lugo
Post date December 16, 2025
No Comments on Tech Tools for Life Goes Hands-On in 2026!

By Arlene Lugo, Program Director, CT Tech Act Project

As the seasons shift, the echoes of our 2025 Tech Tools for Life Conference still reverberate with excitement. As we enter the peak of the holiday season, it’s never too late to share the triumphs of our 2025 event while unveiling exciting plans for 2026!

How good was it?

Our two-day Assistive Technology conference, held on June 9th and 10th at the Bristol Event Center, was a great success with an overwhelmingly positive response! We had almost 250 attendees daily and a wide array of 30 exhibitor tables and 15 dynamic breakout sessions each day.

Our keynote speakers, Lynne Seagle on Day 1 and Kara and Alice Brouhard on Day 2 delivered moving insights that left attendees inspired and invigorated.

The Survey Says…

Our Conference post-survey revealed a clear theme: attendees want more dedicated time for hands-on engagement with the AT devices and more interactive sessions.

About the Sessions:

“All sessions I attended were great! At times wish I could have been in 2 rooms at once.

Kudos for Keynotes:

“The keynote speaker was absolutely amazing!”

“Kara shared her story and a great real-life example of AT in practice.”

From an Exhibitor:

“My overall experience was top-notch.”

Favorite Sessions:

“I loved them all. Can’t possibly choose just one.”

You spoke – we listened!

As a result of the feedback we received, we have been working hard to establish the 2026 Tech Tools for Life, Assistive Tech at its Best: Hands-On Series.

Rather than a full two-day conference in 2026, we are planning a series of hands-on sessions across the state. You can tailor your AT learning experience by choosing sessions that interest you most and will give you the opportunity to engage directly with the latest in Assistive Technology. Dive into topics like Cooking with AT, DIY/Make & Take, Smart Home innovations, Accessible Gaming, Wearable Tech, Cutting-Edge Artificial Intelligence, and more. The Hands-on Series will begin in February 2026 and will run to the end of next year.

More information and details will be hitting your inbox soon. In the meantime, you can visit www.TechToolsforLife.org to find updates on the calendar for the Hands on Series for 2026, including location, registration links, payment information and more.

For a Taste of What’s to Come

The Hands-On Series will kick off on February 12, 2026, from 10am – 2pm with our first session: Hands on… Aprons On: Cooking Without Limits presented by Living without Limits. This session will accommodate up to 50 attendees who will be cooking with the use of Assistive Technology devices and will be able to enjoy the food as they make it. A modest registration fee of $25 per person will be charged. More info to come soon!

Nigel and James from Living without Limits are Cooking with AT.

Tags Assistive Technology, AT Awareness, AT for Community Living, AT for Education, AT for Work, Resources, Training

Events News and Events

SCSU Creating Switch-Adapted Toys for Local School

Post author By ttrech_conccutx90
Post date July 12, 2022

by Lauren Tucker, Ed.D.

The graduate students in Southern Connecticut State University’s Assistive Technology Program participated in an adapted toy workshop this spring to learn how to increase the accessibility for many toys. Unfortunately, many switch-adapted toys are very expensive and have limited options. To learn the process of adapting and to give back to the community, the SCSU Special Education department purchased toys and the materials for graduate students to adapt several toys.

SCSU graduate students learned a solder-free method of toy adaptation using lever nuts. They explored the essential components of toy adapting, wiring, and circuitry. After the toys were adapted by the SCSU students, they were donated to ACES Village School in North Haven. As stated on their website, Village School provides collaborative educational, emotional, and physical services to children ages 3 to 14 years with a range of cognitive, physical, behavioral, language, and medical challenges.

Village School celebrates the diversity of their student population through innovative and individualized instruction. The teachers and speech pathologists were able to utilize the switch adapted toys in their classrooms for cause and effect activities, teaching motor skills, and recreation! The adapted toys included a spin art activity, a dancing pig, a dancing cactus and more! The SCSU Assistive Technology program is excited to continue their toy adapting workshop in the future semesters. Click here to view a video summary of the workshop class.

Tags Access, Adaptive Toys, Professional Development, Switches

Announcement Events News and Events

National Assistive Technology Awareness Day is Wednesday, April 6, 2022!

Post author By ttrech_conccutx90
Post date April 4, 2022

The CT Tech Act Project and our AT partner agencies are celebrating National AT Awareness Day to bring attention to the important role Assistive Technology (AT) plays in the lives of individuals with disabilities and aging adults.

What is AT?

AT is any item or piece of equipment that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of older adults and individuals with disabilities. AT provides access to education and the workplace, allowing individuals to live well within their communities, enjoy recreational activities, and more. AT takes many forms – from low-tech devices like canes, walkers, ergonomic pens and magnifiers to high-tech items like smartphones, computers with speech-to-text software or magnification, adapted vehicles, or smart home technology.

How Can You Get Involved?

National AT Awareness Day is a great opportunity to share the importance of Assistive Technology for you, a family member, or someone you know with local lawmakers (https://www.cga.ct.gov/) and members of Congress (https://www.congress.gov/members). Thank them for supporting programs like the AT Act that make AT more accessible to all.

Consider sharing what AT means to you on social media using the hashtag #ATAwarenessDay.

How can you learn more about AT in Connecticut?

Visit the CT Tech Act Project website at www.CTtechact.com or follow us at www.facebook.com/CTtechact or on Twitter @Cttechact.

Tags AT Awareness, AT Awareness Day

Events News and Events

March 4, 2020 National Assistive Technology Awareness Day!

Post author By ttrech_conccutx90
Post date March 4, 2020

Written by Arlene Lugo, Program Director, CT Tech Act Project

The U.S. Senate has designated Wednesday, March 4, 2020, as National Assistive Technology Day to raise awareness about Assistive Technology devices and services used to increase independence and allow for inclusion of individuals with disabilities, as well as older adults in their communities,
schools, homes and workplaces. This special day also commends our nation’s Assistive Technology specialists and program coordinators for their dedication to serving individuals with disabilities and older adults.

In honor of this day, the CT Tech Act Project would like to express its gratitude to its community partner agencies who provide such depth and breadth of Assistive Technology services to the residents of Connecticut every day.

Many thanks to our partners at:

CREC: www.crec.org/at

Berkshire Bank: www.CTtechact.com/loan

EASTCONN: www.eastconn.org/assistive-technology-home

The Eastern CT Assistive Technology Center at WRCC:
(860) 423-4534 ext. 319

The NEAT England Assistive Technology Center (NEAT):
https://assistivetechnology.oakhillct.org

SERC: (860) 632-1485 ext. 319

SCSU Center for Educational and Assistive Technology:
https://inside.southernct.edu/ceat

UCP of Eastern CT: https://ucpect.org/assistive-technology-at

The Western CT Assistive Technology Center at WCAAA:
https://wcaaa.org/programs/assistive-technology-center

#ATAwarenessDay

Tags AT Awareness

Events News and Events Product Spotlight

Gift of Technology

Post author By ttrech_conccutx90
Post date March 3, 2020

Written by Shannon Taber, Assistive Technology Specialist, United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern CT

In November of 2019, United Cerebral Palsy of Eastern Connecticut asked local schools to nominate students with disabilities for the “Gift of Technology.” We are happy to announce that we were able to select 18 individuals to receive this gift in the form of iPads, reader pens and more.

This event was funded by UCP through the Bellows Grant. TheE lsie S. Bellows Fund was established in 1995 to provide Assistive Technology equipment to individuals with disabilities to help them achieve new levels of independence. Students from Kelly Middle School in Norwich and New London High School were among some of the individuals selected, as well as students in Plainfield, Canterbury and Griswold. Most of the devices requested will be used for communication by Speech and Language Therapists in the school systems.

In the nomination form, each nominator was asked to identify how the technology would help their student, consumer or loved one. One of the nominations was for a C-Pen Reader. This portable, pocket-size device reads text aloud when scanned along a line of print and will significantly benefit the user, who is a young mom with an 11-year-old child. The consumer is not able to read and has struggled with helping her daughter complete her schoolwork. This simple device will help address this family’s challenge and
decrease barriers to independence in more ways than one.

When individuals with disabilities use technology and tools designed to remove barriers to school, community and employment, it helps to level the playing field.

At UCP we believe everyone should have access to solutions that help people with disabilities lead more independent and fulfilling lives.

Tags AT for Education

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The Connecticut Tech Act Project (CTTAP) operates out of the CT Department of Aging and Disability Services. We help people with disabilities, family members, employers, educators and other professionals with access to Assistive Technology devices and services.

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