In this episode of Talking with Tech, Chris is interviewed by Adina Malamut, a graduate student and Employee Accessibility Specialist at the University of Texas at Dallas. Their conversation explores Adina’s professional background, her passion for accessibility, and her role in facilitating workplace accommodations. Chris shares insights from his extensive experience in assistive technology, discussing best practices for training, assessment, and systemic implementation of tools to support individuals with disabilities.

Key Ideas This Week:

Creative Versatility and Experimentation: Adina emphasizes the value of trying different styles and formats in her creative process, especially in comedy. She discusses how experimenting with diverse mediums—from writing and directing to performing—has helped her grow and connect more authentically with her audience.

The Power of Community and Collaboration: She highlights the importance of working with others in the creative field. Adina shares how collaborating with fellow artists and being part of supportive communities has enriched her projects and offered essential feedback and encouragement.

Personal Growth Through Vulnerability: A recurring theme is her willingness to be vulnerable in her work. She talks about how sharing personal stories and embracing imperfections not only deepens her connection with audiences but also contributes to her personal development as an artist.

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In this episode, Christina Schmidt discusses the critical role of cultural competency in AAC, emphasizing the need to honor linguistic and cultural diversity, such as African American English, within communication systems. She highlights the importance of clinicians addressing their own implicit biases and taking a thoughtful, reflective approach when working with families. Christina encourages professionals to build trust gradually, prioritize collaboration, and empower both caregivers and clients to ensure AAC systems truly reflect the user's identity and culture!

🔑Cultural Competency and AAC Must Go Hand-in-Hand: Christina emphasizes the importance of recognizing and respecting cultural and dialectal diversity—especially African American English (AAE)—when programming and implementing AAC systems. Ignoring these cultural elements can undermine identity, communication authenticity, and trust between professionals and families.

🔑 Clinicians Must Address Their Own Implicit Biases: A foundational step in becoming culturally competent is self-reflection. Christina encourages professionals to examine and challenge their own internalized biases before engaging with families. This self-awareness ensures more respectful, equitable, and effective service delivery.

🔑 Building Trust Takes Time and Intention: Establishing a culturally responsive relationship with families—particularly those from marginalized backgrounds—requires patience, ongoing reflection, and intentional rapport-building. Clinicians are urged to create safe spaces, validate cultural expressions, and engage in continuous learning to truly support meaningful communication through AAC.

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In this episode, Rachel Madel and Chris Bugaj recap their experiences at ATIA 2025, highlighting the value of community-building during the pre-conference and the growing impact of generative AI in AAC and assistive technology. They discuss exciting new tools like Symbol Creator AI and Flex Speak, and reflect on key sessions around policy advocacy, emphasizing the power of personal stories in influencing change. The episode underscores the importance of collaboration, innovation, and using your voice to make a difference in the assistive tech space.

Key Ideas This Episode:

Collaborative Learning and Connection at Pre-Conference and Sessions Chris & Rachel emphasized how the ATIA pre-conference fostered rich conversations and collaboration, particularly for professionals who often feel isolated in the AAC field. Participants valued the chance to share insights, ask questions, and build lasting relationships. The extended format of 1.5 days allowed for deeper dives into topics like coaching and core AAC strategies, enhancing both learning and community-building.

Generative AI and Accessibility Innovations A major theme was the evolving role of generative AI in assistive technology. Presentations explored how AI could enhance AAC use—like suggesting dialogue based on context or location (e.g., at Starbucks)—and improve communication speed and flexibility. Tools like Microsoft’s Accessibility Insights, the Flex Speak app for multilingual AAC, and Symbol Creator AI from Global Symbols were highlighted as promising developments that support more inclusive and customizable communication.

Empowerment Through Policy, Advocacy, and Storytelling Amidst concerns over funding and administrative changes, attendees were encouraged to advocate for assistive technology by directly engaging policymakers. A standout session by ATIA’s policy advisor Laura Kaloi underscored the impact of personal stories in influencing legislation. The episode closed with a reminder that every professional’s and user's voice matters in shaping future access and innovation in the field.

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