Notes from the Chair

Ten years. A decade. Time goes by so quickly. It seems that it was just a couple of years ago that an annual conference grew into the idea of an assistive technology center.

Four homes, ten years, generous sponsors, talented staff, conferences, workshops, demonstrations, dedicated volunteers. These are some of the ingredients that add up to thousands of people who now live better lives because they have been introduced to life-changing assistive technology by coming to TechACCESS. That's quite an accomplishment – improving the lives of those around us.

In the ten short years since the Center opened, there have been massive changes in technology, too. Many accessibility features currently built into operating systems and commercial software packages were only available as highly-specialized software which posed serious compatibility issues. What was once futuristic or an expensive luxury is now pretty commonplace. Just recently, I purchased the newest version of Microsoft Office. This version has voice recognition built into it which was simpler to train than the first commercial voice recognition software that I had purchased roughly five years ago. Other accessibility features are also easily built into computer programs these days.

As baby boomers age, we are beginning to see many more accessibility features built into almost everything. Just look at the gadget area of any department store and you'll see timers with large numbers, cooking utensils with large comfortable grips, and a host of other aids to make simple tasks easier. A long time ago, before these types of features were common, TechACCESS co-sponsored a conference with the Construction Specification Institute's Rhode Island Chapter. At that conference, one speaker made the point that accessible design was good design for everyone.

Ten years. Great strides have been made toward recognizing that assistive technology is no longer a luxury or a specialty. It's good design - for everyone. As we make plans to celebrate TechACCESS' tenth anniversary, we can also celebrate that assistive technology has come a long way, too.

Sharon Charette, Chair
TechACCESS of RI

TechACCESS of RI
Phone: 401-463-0202 (v/tdd)
FAX: 401-463-3433
In-State: 800-916-(TECH)8324
Contact: TechACCESS of RI | techaccess@techaccess-ri.org|

Last Revised: January 5, 2003