Project Description:
TechOWL – Pennsylvania's federally designated Assistive Technology (AT)
Act Program intends to create a TechOWL Community Lab in Philadelphia
to engage people regarding assistive technology. This lab will deliberately
welcome Pennsylvanians with disabilities to teach others, learn about, and
find the tools and technology they need to live their best lives. The purpose
of the TechOWL Community Lab is to improve current projects, support new
initiatives, and inform the activities of other regional AT centers across the
Commonwealth. We will intentionally center the lived experiences of the
disability community in the work.
TechOWL is uniquely positioned to do this work because of who we are and
what we do. The TechOWL team is richly diverse. We are a mix of people
with lived disability experience, licensed professionals, project coordinators,
specialists, and consultants. The primary office is at Temple University, and
we have eight additional regional resource centers through contracts with
other disability organizations. This arrangement allows TechOWL to provide
local services to thousands of disabled Pennsylvanians. The lessons learned from the TechOWL Community Lab will inform the work at the other eight
regional assistive technology resource centers.
The TechOWL team is fortunate to be able to listen and learn from disabled
Pennsylvanians – informing our perception and practice. TechOWL has an
impressive social media presence (@techowlpa on Facebook, Instagram and
TikTok.) Our posts touch millions of viewers across the world. We work at
the intersection of disability advocacy and assistive technology, employing a
social model of disability. The TechOWL Community Lab is an actualization of
our collective vision for the future.
The TechOWL Community Lab will include four major projects or programs:
1. Wheeled Alliance for Repair and Maintenance
2. Teaching, Learning and Workforce Development
3. CreATe Together Fabrication
4. Reused AT Expansion
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Developing & Disseminating Information, Continuing Education/Community Training, Demonstration Services
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Health-Related Activities, Housing-Related Activities, Recreation-Related Activities, Quality of Life, Other - Assistive Technology
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Community Trainees / Short term trainees, Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
