About Us

Awards: Power of Possibility

Susie Blackstein-Adler and Ari Rivera

Access Technology for Switch Users Project: Providing switch users with the ability to access technology that supports reading and writing.

"When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young."
- Maya Angelou

For Susie Blackstein-Adler and Ari Rivera’s the chance to give a client the “life-giving power of literature” inspired them to create access technology to support reading and writing. 

Susie and Ari realized the need for a new technology when one of their clients, who had an amazing amount of potential, was not able to read and write alongside her peers. The problem was that there were no published onscreen arrays that effectively and efficiently provided access for Kurzweil, a popular reading and writing application that supports students who have learning disabilities.

After consulting with the team at Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc, Susie and Ari were recruited by the company to work with Madentec, Inc, the company that makes onscreen keyboard software. They brought their invaluable knowledge of the challenges switch users and those who cannot speak have when using software that supports reading and writing. They used that knowledge to come up with guidelines related to design and types of access software.

Over the course of two years, Susie and Ari continued to work with their client, and as her access to different program features changed, they developed onscreen keyboards to support her needs. These modifications and suggestions were sent on to Madentec Inc for more generic and widespread production.

Not only has Susie and Ari’s work been published by a company that distributes assistive technology internationally, but they have instilled their client with a love of reading by providing her with the same ability that her peers have – to independently read for both academics and leisure.

Congratulations to Susie and Ari, whose innovation has the far-reaching potential of providing opportunities to many others with similar needs!

• Access Technology for Switch Users Video (Windows Media Video file)
• Communication & Writing Aids Service

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