December 2024 Newsletter

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Mark Your Calendars for TechAccess Oklahoma 2025!

We are excited to announce that TechAccess Oklahoma 2025 is set for March 4 and 5, 2025! For our 10th anniversary, we are bringing back some of your favorite speakers from past conferences, as well as some new faces.

TechAccess Oklahoma is a free conference hosted by the Oklahoma ABLE Tech Digital Accessibility team. If you create any kind of digital content, from an MS Word document to a web application, TechAccess OK is for you! Each session’s focus varies, but all sessions center on some aspect of digital accessibility. Creating accessible content is a state of Oklahoma requirement, as well as the right thing to do! Join us to learn how you can get started on or continue on your accessibility journey.

This year, TechAccess Oklahoma will be held at MetroTech District Center in Oklahoma City.  If you can’t make it in person or would prefer to attend virtually, we also have a Zoom option. Keep an eye out for speaker and session details coming soon on the TechAccess website. Save your spot and register now on Eventbrite!

If you have questions about TechAccess Oklahoma 2025, please contact the Digital Accessibility team by email at abt.a11y@okstate.edu! 

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Device Loan Success Story – William

This summer, William successfully trialed an iPad with the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app Proloquo2Go. He borrowed the device through our Device Loan Program after a recommendation from his speech-language pathologist (SLP). William showed success using AAC at school, so his SLP recommended trialing it at home, too!  

Oklahoma ABLE Tech provides iPads used as speech-generating devices (SGDs) to help with communication. These devices can also help individuals learn early literacy skills, understand cause and effect, practice fine motor skills, complete daily tasks, and more. 

Since the trial, William has been able to use the device both at school and at home. He also uses his natural speech to say the same things he communicates with the app. Leslie says it has been exciting to see his progress and she is grateful for the chance to use the device. 

More About the App 

Proloquo2Go is a robust AAC app. Robust AAC apps allow individuals to access different types of words so they can communicate however they prefer (commenting, joking, asking questions, greeting, protesting, requesting, etc.). 

Robust apps can help users grow language over time. They offer a full alphabet and organization options that maintain a motor plan to support efficient navigation. Proloquo2Go has multiple grid sizes available that can be customized for a range of fine motor and visual skills. It’s useful for people with communication challenges, including those with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and speech disorders like apraxia and dysarthria. 

To explore devices offered through Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s Device Loan Program, visit our Device Loan webpage. 

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Financial Tips for the New Year

Need help building good money habits to reach your financial goals for the New Year? Check out this article by myFICO for tips on understanding how habits work and making them stick. Taking small, consistent steps can lead to significant financial improvements. Here are some suggested steps for building better money habits:

• Start with the habits you already have – consistent habits make the best anchors for new habits
• Keep things simple – if the process is too complicated it will be harder to stick with
• Make good habits a part of who you are – it’s easier to be consistent when they are a part of your identity
• Focus on the rewards – reminding yourself of the goals can reinforce the commitment
• Adjust as needed – if the routine is not working, don’t be afraid to make a change

Do you have questions about financial education resources or need help purchasing assistive technology (AT)? Oklahoma ABLE Tech’s low-interest financial loan program can assist. To contact the team or apply for a loan, visit the Financial Loan webpage or OkAT’s website.

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Oklahoma ABLE Tech Welcomes Three New Staff

Bethany Potts – Program Coordinator, Transition

Bethany graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family science and a minor in American Sign Language. As a program coordinator, she divides her time between special projects, including wearables and transition activities. She is also the specialist for the hearing and vision AT categories, as well as AT for employment. Bethany is passionate about inclusivity and accessibility and enjoys her role at Oklahoma ABLE Tech.

In her free time, Bethany loves to be outside. Her favorite activities include camping, hiking, kayaking, and snowboarding. She also enjoys creative hobbies like crocheting, painting, reading, baking, and working with clay. She lives in Edmond with her fiancé, Owen.

Christian Sosa – Warehouse Technician

Christian moved to Oklahoma in 2015. He previously worked with Oklahoma ABLE Tech as a temporary employee and is now the full-time Warehouse Technician at the Reutilization office in Oklahoma City. He enjoys sitting down with his family to watch cartoons and playing video and board games. He considers himself to be a “fix-it-Felix” and loves repairing broken things. He has recently picked up gardening, which he says is a love/hate relationship. He feels there is a lesson to learn in every success or failure, and he loves the process. He is currently a father of one, and he and his wife are expecting twins in April 2025. He looks forward to continuing his work with Oklahoma ABLE Tech and enjoys being a part of a program that helps people in so many ways.

Jennifer Williams – Program Outreach/DME Educator

Jennifer moved to Oklahoma from Reno, Nevada, in 2002. She spent most of her 20-year professional career working in childcare. She loves spending time with her family and friends. She has recently discovered the love of reading. She has been married to her husband Kenny, for 23 years. Together, they live in Yukon and have three amazing children: Payton, 20, a junior in the ROTC program at the University of Oklahoma; Cheyanna, 19, who serves in the Air National Guard; and Jace, 15, a sophomore at Yukon High School who loves playing football.  She is excited to start a new career path as the Program Outreach/DME Educator with the Reutilization office in Oklahoma City. Jennifer says she can’t wait to see what the future holds!

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Accessibility Programs Updates

Special Education Resolution Center

New Guidance on FBAs to Support Student Learning

Exclusionary discipline is still a big topic in schools, especially when it comes to student behavior. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) have shared new guidance on functional behavior assessments (FBAs). The FBA guidance gives teachers and families helpful tools, resources, and information to support FBAs and behavior plans for all students, whether they have a disability or not.

Stay up to date on the guidance by reading the FBA letter and guidance on the U.S. Department of Education website.

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Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council

Apply for BEST STEP 2025

The Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) BEST STEP 2025 program is now accepting applications. BEST STEP allows transition-age youth to learn job skills while having fun. There is even an option for many participants to work a paid part-time summer internship! 

The application is available in English and Spanish, and several locations are available on the website, with more coming soon. To apply, go to the BEST STEP 2025 website, find the location closest to you, and submit your information.

If you have any questions, please contact TransitionTeam@okdrs.gov

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Oklahoma AT Center Locations and Partners

Oklahoma ABLE Tech and its partners operate device demonstration and loan programs to increase statewide access to AT.

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OSU Department of Wellness – Accessibility Programs Staff

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Please call 800-257-1705 for more information. The Oklahoma State University Department of Wellness is the lead agency for Oklahoma ABLE Tech. ABLE Tech is funded through the Administration for Community Living of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and maintains coordination and collaboration efforts with partners throughout the state of Oklahoma.