Where It's AT – Assistive Technology Blog

Google Drive is a great tool for sharing files, especially ones such as videos that are too large to send through an email.  It also has the ability to add captions to those videos!  The interface is similar to YouTube’s but there is no AI driven auto-captioning, so you’ll need to upload either a caption file (SRT or similar) or a transcript and let Drive attempt to match the transcript to the video.  I would recommend generating the captioning file, personally. 

To add captions to a video in drive, open the context menu and select “Manage caption tracks.”

That will bring you to a new tab where you can add a caption track.  When you activate the Add New Caption Tracks link, it’ll open a dialog where you can either select a file in Drive or upload a new one.  Once uploaded, you’ll see the new track in the list below the link along with details such as the language, editor, and time added.  You’re good to go now!  Anyone who views that video can activate the CC button on the player and choose which track to use.

If you need a method to create the captioning file, I would recommend CADET (available here: https://www.wgbh.org/foundation/what-we-do/ncam/cadet).  This free program available from the The National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH is a fairly easy to use tool that can create a variety of caption files or transcripts.  It’ll take a little bit of setup and getting used to, but once you get the keyboard shortcuts memorized, video captioning will be done quickly. 

For additional help with adding captions to videos in Drive, go to Google’s Help Center here: https://support.google.com/drive/answer/1372218?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop

The National Paralysis Resource Center (operated by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) has launched a new partnership with Kakana to offer free adaptive fitness opportunities people living with paralysis.

Kakana is a groundbreaking streaming fitness platform designed to be inclusive and accessible. Kakana (meaning bold, determined, daring and courageous) was created to offer intense and engaging fitness classes both live and on-demand, to people of all abilities. The inclusive and unique platform also includes fitness instructors with disabilities to guide the audience through each workout.

The new partnership kicked off in February, with an educational webinar featuring Kakana Instructor Jesi Stracham, Reeve Foundation’s PRC Program Coordinator TJ Griffin, Para-Powerlifter Garrison Redd, Team USA Wheelchair Rugby Chuck Aoki, and Kakana’s Founder Matt Ney.

This new collaboration is part of the PRC’s efforts to expand the availability of inclusive, accessible physical fitness opportunities. Register here and learn more!

CLICK HERE to register!

What: April 6 is National Assistive Technology (AT) Awareness Day. Please help us celebrate!

Why: In honor of National Assistive Technology Awareness Day, the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs will produce a celebratory video highlighting the value of assistive technology (AT) in individual lives.

To produce the video by April 6, we need your short (1-minute) video by March 15, 2022. Your video should highlight how AT helps you/your child attend school, work, live independently, and/or enjoy sports or recreation.

How:

• 1-minute (or less) video of good quality
• MP4 or MOV format
• Please do not caption the video
• Please send to Jamie Anderson (jamie.anderson@ataporg.org) by March 15, 2022

Here’s a suggested script to help ensure your video can be included:

• “I’m celebrating National Assistive Technology Awareness Day because my [TYPE OF DEVICE] helps me/my child at [SCHOOL, WORK, HOME, RECREATION].”
• “Let me show you how it works.” [SHORT DEMONSTRATION]
• “It helps me/my child by… [SHOW/TELL HOW IT MAKES YOUR LIFE BETTER]
• “Thank you Congress for supporting programs that make my AT more affordable/available.”
• Show our AT one more time. 

National Council on Disability (NCD) will host a public webinar on its Health Equity Framework for People with Disabilities TOMORROW February 23 from 2:00 – 2:45 p.m. (ET). After a culmination of meetings, outreach, and consultation with a multi-disciplinary team of advisors, NCD recently released its Health Equity Framework that offers a blueprint for policymakers to address systemic barriers and health disparities to achieve health equity for people with disabilities. Disability community stakeholders are invited to the webinar where speakers will include Andrés Gallegos, Chairman of NCD, Rick Rader, MD, Council Member of NCD, Lisa lezzoni, MD, Harvard School of Medicine, and Neil Romano, Council Member of NCD.

CLICK HERE to learn more!

Issue-1 “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Assistive Technology”

ATAP is happy to announce the first issue in the 2022 Policy Issue Brief series.  This publication is the first of four policy briefs to be published this year.  The first brief features The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Assistive Technology.  ATAP issue briefs are available on their website under Policy and Advocacy and Issue Briefs.

CLICK HERE for this issue brief