Rob:  The people receiving help from the Oklahoma league of the blind are not alone.  Millions of people with disabilities rely on assistive technology to help them gain and maintain their independence.  And thanks to a partnership with Oklahoma ABLE Tech, getting help is getting easier.  Lawrence Hillman explains.
Lawrence Hillman:  Steve Herrera finds typing a little bit easier these days despite being blind.
Steve Herrera:  With the adaptive devices that they have out there, it’s possible for me to use a computer again.
Lawrence:  Herrera literally lost his sight overnight and has been legally blind for over a decade.  Thanks to new technology and a program called ABLE Tech, his life has become much easier.
Steve:  The items that they offer are things that help me be much more independent in my life.  To where I don’t have to wait for someone to look at something for me or to do it visually; I can do it for myself.
Lawrence:  An independence made possible by technology that wasn’t even available just a few short years ago.
Brenda Dawes:  Assistive technology can be items from wheelchairs to specialized software loaded on computers to help people with any type of disability.  It can be a really low-end device or it can be all the way to really robust systems that are quite expensive to very low range in cost.
Lawrence:  Brenda Dawes is the director of Oklahoma ABLE Tech and says the agency now supports eight locations around Oklahoma that helps the disabled and their families.
Brenda:  Assistive technology, having access to it, allows people with disabilities, but not only people with disabilities, but their caretakers, their family members, teachers, even people without disabilities that want to learn more or have someone in mind that has a disability.
Lawrence:  ABLE Tech has invested over 400,000 dollars into various types of assistive technology for Oklahomans and helping people like Steve start employment.
Steve:  I’m working towards starting employment which has been my ultimate goal since I lost my sight.
Lawrence:  Small changes that can lead to big differences in people’s lives.