Program Overview

Introduction to TechOWL and Assistive Technology

TechOWL, also known as Technology for Our Whole Lives, is a program that serves everyone across the lifespan with any kind of disability experience. It represents the state Assistive Technology Act program for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The program is based at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University, specifically within the College of Education and Human Development.

About TechOWL

• TechOWL stands for Technology for Our Whole Lives.
• It serves the entire state of Pennsylvania.
• The program is an outward-facing organization, meaning it serves not just Temple University but everyone in Pennsylvania.
• TechOWL is a federally and state-funded nonprofit organization.
• It views disability through both a social and holistic model, believing that society can be made more accessible for all while also respecting the realities of pain and limitations that people experience.

Assistive Technology Act Program

Every state and territory in the United States has an Assistive Technology Act program. These programs are required to perform several key functions:

• Demonstrating devices: They have an inventory of devices and are mandated to teach people about how to use them and what exists.
• Equipment lending program: This allows people to borrow devices to test them out and see if they work for their specific disability.
• Equipment donation: Programs accept donations of equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and more, which are then provided to those in need.
• Education: This includes presentations, trainings, and technical assistance to help individuals and organizations understand and access assistive technology.

Accessibility Features on Smartphones

Smartphones have a range of built-in accessibility features that can be incredibly helpful for individuals with disabilities. These features are free and can be customized to meet individual needs.

Hearing Tools

• Live Captioning: Allows for automatic captions across all apps. On iPhone, it can be turned on for FaceTime, and on Android, it can be accessed through the volume button.
• Pairing Hearing Devices: Improves audio quality and allows for taking calls with hearing aids.
• Sound Recognition: Listens for specific sounds in the environment, such as alarms or animals, and notifies the user.
• Real-Time Text: Enables text communication during phone calls.
• Flash Notifications: Alerts the user of incoming notifications through the camera flashlight or screen flash.
• Sound Amplifier: Filters and amplifies sounds in the environment or device, native on Android and available as an app on iPhone.

Vision Tools

• Screen Readers: Voiceover on iPhone and TalkBack on Android provide gesture-based navigation and spoken feedback.
• Display and Text Size Adjustment: Allows for making text bold or larger, reducing transparency, increasing color contrast, and inverting colors.
• Color Filters: Helpful for color blindness.
• Zoom: Magnifies the entire screen, accessible through a three-finger double-tap gesture.
• Spoken Content: Reads the screen aloud, including typing feedback, and can be used to read eBooks or PDFs.

Physical and Motor Tools

• Assistive Touch: Creates custom gestures and provides access to important features, native on iPhone and available as an app on Android.
• Ignore Repeat: Treats multiple touches as a single touch, helpful for those with tremors.
• Back Tap: Performs actions with a double or triple tap on the back of the phone.
• Switch Control: Allows the use of switches to control the phone.
• Head Tracking and Camera Switches: Enables navigation with head movements and facial gestures.

Cognitive Tools

• Assistive Access: Simplifies the home screen by limiting apps and features.
• Action Blocks (on Android): Creates custom buttons for common actions.
• Accessibility Shortcuts: Enables quick access to frequently used accessibility features through a triple-click of the side button on iPhone.
• Guided Access or Screen Pinning: Keeps the phone in a single app, useful for limiting cognitive load.
• Voice Assistants: Siri on iPhone and Google Assistant on Android can perform various tasks, set reminders, and answer questions.

Apps for Accessibility

Several apps can enhance the accessibility of smartphones:

• For Hearing: Rogervoice, Ava, Live Transcribe, Otter.ai.
• For Seeing: Seeing AI, TapTapSee, Be My Eyes, Aira.
• For Memory: Alarmed, Reminder with Voice Reminders, Remember the Milk, Medisafe.
• For Organization: Recipe Keeper, Todoist.

TechOWL Programs

TechOWL offers several programs to help individuals access and utilize assistive technology:

• Assistive Technology Lending Library: Allows borrowing of equipment for up to nine weeks for iPads and five weeks for other devices.
• Free Special Phone Program: Provides smartphones to individuals with disabilities who meet income requirements.
• ICanConnect: Offers devices and training for individuals with combined vision and hearing loss.
• Del Sordo Fund: A $400 mini-grant for purchasing assistive devices, available as a last resort funding source for those who meet income requirements.

Conclusion

TechOWL and its programs are designed to make technology accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. By understanding and utilizing the built-in accessibility features of smartphones and exploring additional apps and programs, individuals can significantly enhance their interaction with technology and improve their daily lives.