Empowering all abilities, expo showcases assistive technology on the island

It’s the 30th annual Guam System for Assistive Technology conference happening at the Westin Resort Guam, connecting individuals with disabilities to services, programs, and devices for specific needs. 

Project Coordinator for GSAT, Leah Abelon said, “Here, right behind me, I have different categories of assistive technology. We have different technology for the visually impaired, technology for the deaf and hard of hearing, and also for people with mobility challenges.” 

This year’s theme, Assistive Technology: Empowering our island with limitless possibilities. 

From low tech solutions to technology of the future. 

Abelon shared, “These [assistive tech] are like dressing sticks, we have door levers that can assist a person who may not have use of his hands.” 

And Charlie Hermosa from Bella Wings Aviation added, “We actually did a virtual reality file that we took–we converted it into a VR file, and then somebody who maybe is an engineer, but is in a wheelchair that cannot go onto the job site, well–we’ll bring that job site to them.” 

It's just some of the array of resources on display helping the community to live independently. 

Rodney Calimlim, who’s been blind since 2005, shared how he uses tech in his everyday.  

“With my kind of phone, it talks…So that’s how I get my text messages, and I do research cause it talks to me,” said Calimlim. 

And beyond education on technology were presentations from TR-agency partners, including the Guam Legal Services Corporation, Disability Law Center, the University of Guam Center for Excellence and Developmental Disabilities Research and Services, and others like Bella Wings Aviation, to name a few. 

Discussions ranged from legal services to the benefits and limitations of medicaid, transition care, advocacy, and more.  

Meantime, GSAT will be hosting an Assistive Technology expo at the Micronesia Mall on April 13.