Digital Inclusion Week is October 3 – 7 this year, and we are excited to highlight some of the ways Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) is working toward closing the digital divide for people with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Turning Our Moment into Movement,” signaling a turning point and time of action for the digital inclusion movement.

While the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology for day-to-day living, the digital divide continues to grow for some communities, including those with disabilities. Digital Inclusion Week aims to raise awareness of solutions addressing home internet access, personal devices, and local technology training and support programs.

Easterseals SoCal is proud to be involved in several projects and collaborations that advance digital equity among the disability community and beyond:

Montebello residents Raymond and Sandra Volanos benefit from Easterseal’s Technology Lending Library.

Technology Lending Library 

The Technology Lending Library program provides Laptops, iPads, JayPads (an Android tablet with a self-charging stand and a Zoom auto-join feature), training, and support to people with disabilities who receive services at North Los Angeles County, San Gabriel Pomona, Eastern Los Angeles, Frank D Lanterman, and Harbor Regional Centers.

To learn more about this program and how to access services for you or a loved one, check out our blog post.

JayPad Tablet Training

As part of the Technology Lending Library program, Easterseals SoCal provides JayPad training to people with disabilities who are referred by one of five participating Regional Centers.

HealthJay’s Barrier-Free JayPads are Android tablets with traditional touchscreen, a self-charging stand to support the tablet, and an auto-join feature. This feature allows individuals to receive services, telehealth, and phone calls with no action needed on their part.

“This product, developed by Health Jay with Easterseals’ support, helps people with physical and mobility disabilities be independent with its unique auto-join feature,” said Reese Peterson, Program Director.

For more information about JayPad training through the Technology Lending Library, visit our website.

Hear Our Voices

Hear Our Voices is a multi-pronged program supporting Easterseals SoCal participants of all ages who are impacted by communication delays or disorders resulting in complex communication needs.

Through a series of grants and by partnering with the Department of Rehab, Easterseals is able to provide short- and long-term access to iPads with advanced communication applications for those who are in need.

Jessica Miller, Vice President of Therapy Services at Easterseals SoCal, said, “Hear Our Voices closes the digital divide by providing access to specialized technology for participants of every age who demonstrate complex communication needs, may benefit from a communication device and have had difficulty accessing resources.”

Interested participants can reach our Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Specialist and team by emailing vop@essc.org for more information. The program is always accepting gently-used iPads to help support this growing program. You can send us an email for more info on how to donate!

Free Wi-Fi

Easterseals SoCal has partnered with the LA City Mayor’s Office Angeleno Connectivity Trust (ACT) Program to provide free Wi-Fi hotspot wireless internet devices to students in Los Angeles who are struggling to access online classes and support services.

This initiative provides 100GB per year for five years of free internet service for 18,000 eligible students in Los Angeles. Students must meet specific criteria to be eligible for the program.

One participant’s mom, Angelina, stated, “The hotspot has allowed us to access a specific online reading resource while in speech [therapy] sessions. Having internet access creates a more productive connection between speech and relevant curriculum for my child.”

You can sign-up for the ACT program and access a free Wi-Fi hotspot by calling Easterseals hotspot phone number: (657) 207-5784 or email: ESSCHotspots@essc.org.

Easterseals SoCal is proud to support Digital Inclusion Week as we continue to find ways to ensure people with disabilities have access to technology so they can live independently in their communities. More information about Digital Inclusion Week can be found on this website.

During Hispanic Heritage Month, Easterseals Southern California is proud to highlight the voices of Hispanic activists with a disability who use their platform to raise awareness and advocate for change. Here are three influential advocates worth learning more about:

Daphne Frias

Proudly Latina, Daphne Frias is a champion for the disability community. She started a non-profit to increase voter access, provided groceries to low-income families during the pandemic, and is a climate justice warrior for communities of color and people with disabilities.

Daphne is a medical student with a dual major in Public Health. Recently, Daphne was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and is sharing her journey on Instagram.

Learn more:  5 Tips for Being a Better Disability Ally; Meet Daphne Frias

Andy Arias

Actor, comedian, motivational speaker, artist and disability advocate, Andy Arias  works to advance equity for people with disabilities through employment, economic empowerment and systemic lasting change.

Born and raised in Southern California, Andy Arias is a policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. He identifies as Latin X, a person with a disability and part of the LGBTQI+ community. His lived experience includes being in the foster care system for most of his childhood.

Learn more: The Opportunity to Thrive with PRIDE; Empowerment Through Representation

Annie Elainey

Annie Segarra, also known as Annie Elainey, describes herself as a disabled queer woman of color who is a YouTuber, writer, artist/singer/actor, speaker and advocate. She rose to popularity on YouTube as an artist and activist for LGBTQIA+ and disability rights. Her activism also centers on accessibility for all, body positivity, race and mental health. She created the t-shirt she is photographed wearing after attending the Women’s March in 2017 and feeling that it lacked visibility/accessibility for disabled individuals.

Learn more: Annie Elainey (tumblr.com); Annie Elainey YouTube ; Disability, Queerness, and Self Love

As Easterseals seeks to lead the way to full equity, inclusion and access for people with disabilities, we encourage you to take time this month to learn about the voices of Hispanic activists in the disability community.

Over the last several months, six Easterseals Southern California (ESSC) participants have created a monumental advocacy group called Our Voices Matter (OVM).

Preeti, Betty, Alfred, Priscilla, Jeff, and Valerie — all ESSC Adult Day Services (ADS) participants — came together to create the OVM committee to advocate for their rights and the rights of their peers.

Creating this group is personal for the six of them as they say they spent much of their lives bullied and silenced.

“What we mostly do is we voice our opinion on many issues,” Priscilla, the House Speaker for the group, said. “Most importantly, we are known as Our Voices Matter because our voices have been silent for years. And finally, in this area of time and space, we are not being silent!”

The Our Voices Matter advisory committee, which officially began in early 2022, promotes and advocates for their individual rights, and the rights of all participants who utilize ESSC services. They also support and encourage Person-Centered Culture and Practices (PCCP) within Easterseals Adult Day Services culture with monthly Boot Camp training sessions.

To do this work, the advocacy group collaborates with ESSC’s PCCP team, led by Director Amber Carey-Navarrete. The PCCP team works to empower ESSC participants, like those in OVM, to actively direct their own days, goals, planning, and services.

“I went on tour to different programs, educating (participants) about their rights. They need to know their rights, so they know they have a say in what they want, and they don’t have to follow everyone’s footsteps,” Valerie, the Vice President of OVM, said. “I wanted to become a leader and to help others become one too.”

ADS Area Coordinator and PCCP team member Lendy Ruano of ESSC’s took on the planning, presenting, and developing of the OVM advisory committee. Her role, which she says will diminish over time, is to support the entire group and be their number one ally.

“Now that we have this amazing group of people, that’s who we go to, and each member joins different Boot Camp training sessions, where they share their lived experiences and ideas about how we can be better support staff and we listen to them,” Lendy said.

“We reach out to the people that use ESSC’s services to find out what they need and how we can support them. And they’ve been a great asset for all that input in our training.”

OVM also wants to impact the younger generation.

“What I always say, if not now, then never,” OVM advocate Preeti said. “With the little kids, you have to start young and encourage them to be the voice they want to be, not the voice their parents want them to be.”

“And with the Easterseals PCCP boot camps, they are taking information from us as leaders. That’s good.”

A long-term goal for OVM is to impact people outside of ESSC. They have already started to do just that. In fact, some members wrote speeches that will be shared with the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) in October. Ruth Donnelson and Asia Donnelson, both PCCP managers, are presenting at NADSA about disabled women of color and their experiences of discrimination, negligence, or abuse. Betty, Priscilla, Preeti, and Valerie will be sharing their experiences ‘’during that presentation through letters they wrote or video.

Easterseals Southern California launched its Technology Lending Library in the summer of 2022. This new program provides technology and training to people with disabilities throughout Los Angeles County.  

We sat down with Reese Peterson, the Director of the Technology Lending Library at Easterseals Southern California, to answer your most asked questions about this new service. Reese has been with Easterseals since 2017, serving as both a Program Assistant and an Outreach and Engagement Specialist. He started working with the Technology Lending Library as a program director in January 2022. Reese brings a great combination of program experience, community resourcing expertise, and knowledge of technology to this position.  

Give us a brief overview of the Technology Lending Library initiative:  

The purpose of the Technology Lending Library is to provide Laptops, iPads, JayPads (an Android tablet with a self-charging stand and a Zoom auto-join feature), training, and support to people with people disabilities who receive services at the five participating Los Angeles County Regional Centers (San Gabriel/Pomona, North Los Angeles County, Frank D. Lanterman, Eastern Los Angeles, and Harbor Regional centers).  

How did this project come about?  

This project came about to address the need for people with disabilities to have access to technology. There has always been a digital divide in the disability community, but the COVID-19 pandemic really highlighted this issue. In response, the five LA County Regional Centers were given grant money to create technology lending libraries. ESSC applied for this grant and now provides services to those five Regional Centers.   

How will the Technology Lending Library make a difference?  

The Technology Lending Library is the first step in closing that divide for those who do not have the means of obtaining technology, allowing them access to tech and the ability to maintain a person-centered life style; we know technology is not going away anytime soon.  

Tell us about the adaptive technology features provided in this service:  

The Technology Lending Library has provided many traditional adaptive and assistive technologies such as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software and adaptive hardware. However, our most barrier-free equipment is the JayPad. This tablet allows everyone to use technology, no matter their disability.  

What kind of training and assistance will Easterseals Southern California provide?  

ESSC provides both in-person and remote training for any technology related needs, including: 

How to utilize Zoom meetings so that a person can attend Adult Day Services; Instruction on utilizing basic features of the iPad and Dell Laptop; and more in-depth training on the JayPad specialty tablet. Additionally, ESSC provides an IT HelpDesk that is available to assist users Monday – Friday. 

Who is eligible for this program?  

Any Regional Center consumer at the five participating Regional Centers (San Gabriel/Pomona, North Los Angeles County, Frank D. Lanterman, Eastern Los Angeles, and Harbor Regional Centers). 

How many people do you anticipate this project serving?  

We anticipate serving 500 or more individuals and their families. The project is scheduled to go on for two years, but our goal is to continue providing this service indefinitely through on-going funding. With additional funding, we hope to serve many more people who receive Regional Center services.   

How can someone get involved?   

Someone can get involved by reaching out to their Regional Center Service Coordinator at one of the participating Regional Centers (San Gabriel/Pomona, North Los Angeles County, Frank D. Lanterman, Eastern Los Angeles, and Harbor Regional centers) and requesting a referral for one of the three technologies offered.  

Learn more about Easterseals’ Adult Day Services 

Easterseals Southern California’s Adult Day Services offers support so individuals with developmental, physical, cognitive or multiple disabilities can live independently, gain social and daily living skills, and become active members of their communities.