Bern Gavlick, an eighth-grade guidance counselor, has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and used assistive technology for the first time when he was in first grade. Back then, Bill Zeigler, an assistive technology consultant, introduced Gavlick to a device called the “Unicorn board,” which acted as a giant pad that had all of the letters of the alphabet on it so Gavlick could spell out words by touching it.
Together, they spoke about how assistive technology helped Gavlick throughout his life in “Working Through the System,” the keynote presentation at the University’s 17th annual U.S. Conference on disABILITY, held in October on campus.
Kaitlyn Jones ’18, an occupational therapist who works on Microsoft’s Devices User Research Team, won the Leahy Award.
The annual U.S. Conference on disABILITY brings together national, state and regional experts to discuss a multifaceted approach to improving employment, independent living and transition for all people with disabilities. The conference is hosted by the University’s Panuska College of Professional Studies with the support of the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment and Edward R. Leahy ‘68, H’01 and Patricia Leahy, honorary conference co-chairs.
