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Your weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs.
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This is Ned Williams and I am the lead media editor at InfiniTeach. This is your Assistive Technology Update.
Aliyah Rich:
Hi, my name is Aliyah Rich. I am the content developer at InfiniTeach, and this is Assistive Technology Update.
Josh Anderson:
Hello and welcome to your Assistive Technology Update, a weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology, designed to assist individuals with disabilities and special needs. I’m your host, Josh Anderson with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads in beautiful Indianapolis, Indiana. Welcome to episode 520 of Assistive Technology Update. It is scheduled to be released on May 3rd, 2021.
Josh Anderson:
On today’s show I have some great guests from InfiniTeach, on to talk about their solutions to help make places a little more accessible for individuals with autism and other disabilities. My guests are their content director, Aliyah Rich, and their lead media editor, Ned Williams. We also have a story about a new AR headset being created to help individuals with communication, using a brain interface to control the device. We also have a story about a survey being administered by different universities to find out how AT users and individuals with disabilities participate in different sports and activities. Please don’t forget if you have an idea for someone you’d like us to interview a question for us, a comment or really anything that you’d like to tell us. You can always reach out to us via email at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org. You can call our listener line at 317-721-7124. You can drop us a line on Twitter at, INDATA project. You can also go over to our website at eastersealstech.com and find all other kinds of resources to help you learn more about assistive technology and about the end data project here in Indiana.
Josh Anderson:
We have weekly tech tip videos, blog posts, and really anything assistive technology that you might want to find. If my math is correct, we come out every week on Friday. So that would be 52 shows a year. This episode is episode 520. So if I take 520 divided by 52, I get 10. So this marks 10 years of our show being on the air, coming across to you every Friday. So we thank our new listeners and those that have been with us since the beginning. We can’t wait to hear from you, but for now, let’s go ahead and get on with the show.
Josh Anderson:
After all these months of lockdown. Maybe you’re looking for some new podcast to listen to. We’ll make sure to check out our sister podcast, Accessibility Minute and ATFAQ, or Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions. If you’re super busy and don’t have time to listen to a full podcast, be sure to check out Accessibility Minute our one minute long podcast that gives you just a little taste of something assistive technology based so that you’re able to get your assistive technology fix without taking up the whole day. Hosted by Tracy Castillo, this show comes out weekly.
Josh Anderson:
Our other show is Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions or ATFAQ. On Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions, Brian Norton leads our panel of experts, including myself, Belva Smith, and our own Tracy Castillo, as we try to answer your assistive technology questions. This show does rely on you. So we’re always looking for new questions, comments, or even your answers on assistive technology questions. So remember if you’re looking for more assistive technology podcast to check out, you can check out our sister shows Accessibility Minute and ATFAQ, wherever you get your podcasts now, including Spotify and Amazon Music.
Josh Anderson:
So we’ll start today off of the story that I just found over at the Robb Report written by Bryan Hood, and it’s called You Can Control This New Hands-free Augmented Reality Headset With Your Mind. It talks about the Cognixion, that’s C-O-G-N-I-X-I-O-N, 1AR. It’s a hands-free augmented reality device that can be controlled via brain-to-computer interface. So basically you’re controlling this entire headset with just your thoughts. Now, unlike many of VR headsets, AR headsets, and these other things that are made, this one was actually made with assistive technology in mind. Many of the other ones are made for entertainment, for gaming, for different things like that. Then later on, we find some different ways that it can help in the assistive technology space. This one was actually made with people in mind with complex communication disorders like cerebral palsy or ALS. Now it does say that in addition to the brain control interface, it can also be controlled by head movements, voice commands, or a physical switch.
Josh Anderson:
So basically the idea is it has six noninvasive electrodes that are placed on the wearer’s head, creating a live connection between the user and the device. Now it’s not going to read your mind and know that everything that you’re thinking, but it can identify brain activity related to looking and pointing. So if you really think of eye control devices and other ways that folks control augmented communication devices, this gives them a whole new way to be able to do that. So it also has machine learning algorithms that will improve the connection between the wearer and the headset over time. So like many other devices, this is actually able to learn from you and see what you actually want and how you might be able to do it.
Josh Anderson:
It doesn’t have a whole lot of information on when this will actually come out, it does say that they’ve started some beta testing programs. But really the idea is that you would wear this headset and much like an AAC device, you would have either different icons or you could actually just type things out by basically thinking of where you are pointing, or where you are looking, or where you might be moving your eyes or what you’re trying to get out. So I’m really interested in seeing how this goes.
Josh Anderson:
Then on the other side of the glasses or the headset, those words, phrases, or things that you say would pop up. So the individual could just essentially make eye contact with you and see what it is that you’re saying. As we know for many folks with disabilities, eye contacts important, being able to actually look someone in the eye and have that communication as we would with any able-bodied individual, or anyone who communicates in more of a fashion that everyone’s used to, this could really kind of make it much easier to have that face-to-face contact with folks. So a very cool idea. Of course, it does say in here that in the future, I’m sure there’ll be entertainment and gaming capabilities, but I really like this story because it goes the other way. As I said earlier, usually these devices are made for entertainment, for gaming, for fun. Then we find assistive technology uses for them. This was created with that assistive technology and communication in mind, and just might have some entertainment and fun ways to use it in the future.
Josh Anderson:
So we will put a link to this over in our show notes, and we’ll try to keep an eye on this device. Again, that’s the Cognixion… I’m probably saying that wrong, it’s probably Cognixion, C-O-G-N-I-X–I-O-N 1AR is the name of the device. So we’ll try to keep an eye on this and see as it comes to market here, hopefully later this year. Our next story is a very short one, but it concerns a survey about sport engagement and assistive technology. So a couple of universities Maynooth University, Loughborough University, and VU Amsterdam University are collaborating to carry out important research to further engagement in sports for people with disabilities. The server was created to find out about engagement in sports to find out how much do individuals who use assistive technology or have disabilities actually engage in sports. That’s everything from physical activity in your environment, individual activities like dance, swimming, cycling, or traditional and team sports.
Josh Anderson:
So they’re looking for a variety of opinions. We want to hear from AT users, their caregivers, supporters, coaches, and teachers. So anyone who is 18 or over uses assistive technology, or provide support coach or teach an 80 user, this survey is for them. We’ll put a link to this over in the show notes, over to the story, which will have the link the survey. It says you anonymously answer about a 15 minute survey in order to have them help them get this information. The survey is only open through Wednesday, May 19th, 2021. So for a little less than a week after this show comes out. Then we’ll put a link too, so maybe they can find some information about this survey and help these folks get the information that they’re looking for to perhaps find out how much folks who use AT, or work with folks who use AT actually engage in sports. So they can maybe find ways to maybe make sports more accessible. Or help folks with disabilities and AT users really participate in sports of all kinds. We’ll put a link to that over in the show notes.
Josh Anderson:
Our guests today are working to increase accessibility and inclusion for individuals with autism and other intellectual developmental and hidden disabilities. They’ve worked to create solutions that allow individuals with different abilities to access places in a whole new way today. I’m excited to welcome Aliyah Rich and Ned Williams from InfiniTeach to the show to talk about the unique solutions that they’ve been working on. Aliyah, Ned, welcome to the show.
Aliyah Rich:
All right. Yeah. Hello.
Ned Williams:
Hello.
Josh Anderson:
Hello to both of you. I’m very excited to get in and start talking about the technology, but before we start talking about InfiniTeach, can you tell our listeners a little bit about yourselves?
Aliyah Rich:
So I like a lot of different things. So I came from a school for people with disabilities. Now I like to do traveling around Chicago and what else? Talk about superheroes. I love superheroes of all different kinds, marvel or DC. Whatever you like, I love talking about it.
Josh Anderson:
Yeah. Well, I will make sure we don’t start on that or we’ll fill the whole show because I like talking about that too so.
Aliyah Rich:
Yeah.
Josh Anderson:
Ned what about you?
Ned Williams:
Well, my passion has always been working with computers and graphics. So I got my start by making texture packs and mods for various video games, including for one entire map for the game. Which basically means you’re trying to come up with a whole level of work. I’ve done all that. Then I got my it through InfiniTeach, through Christopher Flint, who was one of the co-founders of InfiniTeach. So that’s how I got started with InfiniTeach because he was helping me manage my life because of my autism. So, which I was diagnosed with at the age of six.
Josh Anderson:
Well we learned a little bit about both of you, now what is InfiniTeach?
Aliyah Rich:
So the main purpose of InfiniTeach is to provide people with autism apps and things to look at. So say for instance, here in a museum, you learn about the area of the museums. You learn what to do, what place you can go in the museum. As well as have some games while you’re playing in the museum. So that’s one of those many things you can do. But we also do a variety of different things like dentists, sports, other museums, including ones in Paris. So we’re trying to do lots of different things that will provide a lot of services for people with disabilities.
Ned Williams:
The nice thing about these apps being apps and not just a resource online, is you get familiar with these different museums before you go. You can learn what to expect. For example, Shedd Aquarium, if you’re going there you would know what exhibits they have and make a plan. For someone with autism and disabilities a plan is very important. So you can end up with actually having it planned out before you arrive. Another nice thing about that is if the museum as closed as it’s been for a while now, due to COVID, you can actually still experience what the museum has to offer remotely through the app.
Josh Anderson:
Hm? So Aliyah, you kind of piqued my interest here just because you kind of talked about games and things. So what are some of the ways that InfiniTeach and their apps and things helps with access and inclusion for the communities that you serve?
Aliyah Rich:
So sometimes everybody has their bad days. So some might have those moments where they have a tantrum or something they need to help them calm. So I feel like the games helps those situations. So you can have a puzzle game. So it’s like students sort all sorts of puzzle games while you’re there. It’s something to do, it’s something interesting. We like puzzles, especially if you like having fun with those types of games. But we’re still trying to provide other experiences as well. So especially games where you make a puzzle of the interest of the Shedd Aquarium. That’s something that might be interesting to somebody and hopefully we can provide more these types of things for other people.
Ned Williams:
Then another thing why that helps someone with autism if they’re having a hard time, maybe the reason that helps with these games, is because sometimes… At least in my experience through my autism, I found that sometimes taking my mind off what’s upsetting me can very much help me get into a better place mentally when it comes to stuff like that. Also, to help that, also list in the museum places you can go and take a break. For example, it’ll list areas to sit down, and mentioned areas with bright lights, dark areas, loud noises, stuff like that. Added layer of additional help.
Aliyah Rich:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Josh Anderson:
That’s excellent because that’s not stuff you’re going to find on a normal map for sure.
Aliyah Rich:
Yeah.
Josh Anderson:
So I can see that to be really helpful, especially as you’re planning that trip.
Aliyah Rich:
Yeah. We’re trying to make things more for accessible for people with autism. Because we can just mention they have so quiet areas in a museum you can go to in case you’re feeling like all the loud noise is a bit too much, and things where you can really enjoy it. Sometimes we often mentioned warnings of something you can’t do, or something it may be too much. Say for instance, there’s a really crowded area. So we’re going to mention that it might be crowded and there are some places you can go in case you feel like this is too much and you can travel somewhere else. So it’s one of those things where we’re trying to be very accessible for people, especially parents that have children with autism that may not communicate well. So we make sure they can communicate through these apps and hopefully we are trying to help everybody and hopefully the world will know what we’re doing.
Ned Williams:
What she means by that is that through the app we have different icons that you can tap in the app and it will actually speak for you. So if you want to say you need to use the restroom, you can hit a bottom in the app and it’ll actually say that. Or if it’s too loud you can hit a button on the app, and it will say that. There’s also reminders to that same end, reminding you what thing to keep in mind and things you can’t actually do.
Josh Anderson:
Oh, very nice. So those were the communication with cuing with all those different kinds of things?
Aliyah Rich:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Josh Anderson:
That’s extremely helpful. With the communication part, is that kind of specialized depending on where you are? I mean like you guys mentioned Shedd Aquarium and we’ll talk about some of the other places later. But are those kind of I guess, specialized for the place?
Ned Williams:
Oh, true to some extent. There is some general icons that are unusable any location, but then each museum or attraction has its own specialized icons that are specific to that place. So Shedd Aquarium has it’s set of specialized ones, in addition to the just generic ones that are used everywhere.
Aliyah Rich:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Josh Anderson:
Very cool. Well, we mentioned Shedd Aquarium, but what are some other examples of a place that you’ve made apps for, and that you’ve worked with?
Ned Williams:
Actually the Minnesota Zoo. There’re some sports teams, we’ve done work with the Toronto Blue Jays, and dentists. We’ve worked with dentist offices before, stuff like that. So, Aliyah can probably mention some more.
Aliyah Rich:
Yeah. The Centre Pompidou in Paris. There’s Chicago Public Libraries, there’s Millennium Park. There’s I think Chicago White Sox. There’re other things as well but, [Field 00:17:36] Museum, Shedd Aquarium. I believe-
Ned Williams:
A couple libraries.
Aliyah Rich:
Yes, a couple of different libraries across the state.
Josh Anderson:
Nice, nice. I can see how this can help a lot of different kind of businesses, different kinds of places in event centers. Especially as the world starts opening back up and we all start heading back to places. I can see how it can help in a lot of different kinds of settings. So that kind of brings me to my next question. I think I may even already know the answer to this, but why was InfiniTeach first started or created? Was it just seeing a need or kind of what was the motivation for it to be started?
Ned Williams:
Well, part of your motivation for it, at least what Katie’s mentioned is that, well she has a brother with autism. So I think in a way she had the challenges of helping with that, so she decided to help with… So she co-founded InfiniTeach with Chris Flint, and Lally Daley to help make resources, to help with that disability more widely available.
Josh Anderson:
Yep. That makes sense. That definitely makes sense. That’s kind of what I figured. Usually most of the folks I get to talk to it comes from something personal. You see that need, and it’s like, “What can we put in place to be able to help other folks who probably have that same need out there?” Can you guys tell me a story of someone that you’ve worked with or that you’ve seen use the tools of InfiniTeach and how it’s made a change in their life?
Ned Williams:
Well, I haven’t seen anyone personally use it yet, but I’ve looked at the use on the various app stores where you can get the apps. But I’ve looked at various reviews on the app stores, and in general there are glowing reviews and stuff from parents who have used the app to help their son or their child basically, use at a places like museum or an aquarium, that they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to do. Just give absolutely glowing reviews on a page, that’s its exactly what they needed, but I haven’t seen anyone use it in person.
Aliyah Rich:
Personally for me, even though I haven’t seen anybody use it personally, but I have shared about the apps and as well as the company. So back when I was in high school, I was still interning with InfiniTeach, lots of teachers in my school would ask, “What is this?” What company I work for? I’ll often tell them what company I work for, and what they do, and what’s their main purpose. They’d be so amazed because the school they’re working in is like a school for people with disability.
Aliyah Rich:
So seeing these types of things out there is pretty amazing to them. So I often have my phone and I show one of their apps. I tell them what the features on the app and what you can do with it. They’d be pretty amazed how much this is a real thing for people. I’m like so, so happy that people really like this. It makes me want to work for the company even more. This is a dream come true that I’m doing this right now. It’s just one of those things where people are so amazed what these people are accomplishing. We’re accomplishing something for people with autism and they really love it. So I’m just hoping to spread the word out there.
Josh Anderson:
Excellent. Aliyah, I know exactly what you mean with loving what you do and being able to really… It doesn’t feel like you go to work most days, if you get to really love what you do.
Aliyah Rich:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Josh Anderson:
Well, so my next question is what is on the horizon? Is InfiniTeach each working on anything new that you’re allowed to tell us about?
Aliyah Rich:
Well, currently I’m still working for new blogs. So a lot of my blogs is really about people with autism, or even people who have someone with autism in their families. I often tell their stories. Hopefully it’ll get them out there and show people, what amazing and people are doing right now. Things like that I love telling me about. I love telling about people’s stories, and writing their stories. Hopefully people will know more about these people and even support them if they find their website, if they find their YouTube channels or something like that. As well as just I help their projects like social media Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. So hopefully I’ll do more of those works as well.
Ned Williams:
Yeah. So like another thing that we have on the horizon, as we’re also working with various sports teams, like the Toronto Blue Jays. We’ve done work for the White Sox. We’ve done with them air and space museum. So at least for my part of what I do and for the company, there’s a lot of video work on the horizon for these various teams. There’s some further dental app related work that I’m doing for making… In the dental app, the thing that’s special about it is it’s a little different than the other apps. It has a tracker for brushing teeth. It has various videos, like if you brush your teeth if you mark it on the app, and then you get a star for each time you mark brushing.
Ned Williams:
Eventually you’ll get a box animation that opens and it will then pop out a tooth character out of the box, like there’s Super Tooth, there’s some other interesting ones like there’s Racer Tooth. There’s all that sort of stuff. Well, you get this tooth, an usually you got a collection of on them. That’s sort of what I worked on for the most part. Do the videos, I do the actual TF characters for that particular one. So yeah. Yeah. But [crosstalk 00:23:46] that on the horizon coming up at some point. So the dental group that we are working with for this dental lab is called Delta Dental Association.
Aliyah Rich:
Another thing I want to mention too, is that we’re still working on our Vax For All video and website. So recently we went to get our vaccine for the COVID-19, and hopefully we’re promoting people with autism to get the vaccine to help prevent COVID from spreading. So we have a website in the works. It’s like I’m making a video to show a promotion of having the vaccines, tips, you can learn about what to do before getting the vaccine or after the vaccine, not to be afraid of getting a shot. Various things as well, along with it. So hopefully it will come out and people will hopefully notice, and seeing that COVID-19 is something is very terrible, but it helps to get a vaccine as well.
Josh Anderson:
Well, if our listeners want to find out more about InfiniTeach, what’s the best way for them to do that?
Ned Williams:
Well you could always look up the website, which is infiniteach.com. If you don’t know how to spell that it is I-N-F-I-N-I-T-E-A-C-H .com
Aliyah Rich:
In case anybody wants to learn about our apps, our apps available on Google Play app stores. Of if you have Apple, or some type of iPhone you can get that. The apps are free, as well as our YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. I feel like I’m missing something else, but I can’t think what it is.
Josh Anderson:
No, it’s kind of hard once you get all those social medias out, it’s like, “Oh, there’s one more.” But no I know exactly how that goes. Well, Ned and Aliyah, thank you both so much for coming on the show today and telling us all about InfiniTeach. I can’t wait to, well, actually be able to get back out there and kind of try these out in different places once we’re all… well allowed to go places a little bit more. But I know things are starting to open up and what a great tool and an amazing tool for individuals with autism and with other disabilities, and just being able to really not just know kind of what they’re getting themselves into, but also to have some tools there to really make it a much more enjoyable and inclusive experience for all.
Ned Williams:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Josh Anderson:
Thank you again.
Aliyah Rich:
Thank you for a letting us be here.
Josh Anderson:
Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on Assistive Technology Update? If you do call our listener line at 317-721-7124. Shoot us a note on Twitter at INDATA Project, or check us out on Facebook. Are you looking for a transcript or show notes? Head on over to our website at www.eastersealstech.com Assistive Technology Update is a proud member of the Accessibility Channel for more shows like this, plus so much more head over to accessibilitychannel.com. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily that of this host or the INDATA Project. This has been your Assistive Technology Update. I’m Josh Anderson with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indianapolis, Indiana. Thank you so much for listening and we’ll see you next time.