Speaker: Daniel Hope @ DIRECTV

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Description: Some of us are generally expected to live very limited lives, depending on others to function or achieve limited success. Sometimes we don’t fit into typical settings, whether at school or home or socially, and we might have difficulties working. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Over the past quarter century, technology has come a long way. Things often taken for granted by businesses for cost and efficiency, or by culture for engagement and enjoyment, might actually be a world changer to someone with disabilities. Because of technology, we can pass on the burdens we’d otherwise have to carry, and not have to rely on people or less capable equipment. While some people fear that handing over responsibilities and overutilization can make us too dependent on modern tech, for those of us who’d otherwise have to rely on the willingness of help, those same concerns of how we use tech can instead make us independent. I teach and advocate for more acceptance of using technology to help those in our society with special needs, whether in school, work or at-home, and will give real-world examples from my own life and the lives of others I’ve helped.