2019-2020 Annual Giving Campaign Supports Technology

Every day, we use technology – making phone calls on our smart phones, typing emails to friends and colleagues, watching television to catch up on the news. We often take for granted the many ways that technology helps us with our daily tasks. Technology is an essential part of our community because it affects the way we socialize, connect with others, plan, and more importantly, how we learn. The same goes for our children. Technology is a critical part of our students’ experience at ACCESS®. It is used in all aspects of our organization from the databases that track therapy hours to the SMART Board technology utilized in all Pre-K 4, Kindergarten Transition, and Academy classes. Every individual served at ACCESS is directly impacted by technology, whether in an early childhood or academy classroom, the evaluation and resource center, outpatient therapy programs, or one of our adult programs such as ACCESS Life and Project SEARCH® Arkansas: ACCESS Initiative.

Throughout the halls of ACCESS, it is impressive to see how the ACCESS team utilizes technology to impact those we serve. On the ACCESS Stella Boyle Smith Early Childhood Campus, some of our students use assisted technology devices to communicate. Speech therapists work closely with families to help provide these necessary devices for their children to communicate needs both at home and in the classroom. speech-language pathologist, Mary Kate Vogel explains, “High-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Systems help give many kids and adults a voice. This could be a push button or a device that speaks for them. They allow kids to participate in our early childhood curriculum and help them to reach their full potential."

In 2016, ACCESS invested in a 1:1 technology environment for all school-aged students. This ratio means that all students have a laptop or iPad to use for instruction. McKenzie Moriconi, Intermediate Reading Teacher at the ACCESS Academy shared, “I use technology every day, whether it’s through my SMART Board or the students’ iPads. To me, technology is important for my class so I can provide the individualized approach that is a cornerstone of what we do at ACCESS. I am able to send each student work that is appropriate for their individual level, and it allows my students to be more independent.” At ACCESS we are embracing the technological world around us. We are using technology along with all of the other teaching tools we have always used for the past 25 years.

All that being said, technology is ever-evolving, and often times needs to be replaced. The keyboards purchased three years ago have about run their course and new software for iPads and SMART Boards has been released. Therefore, this year’s ACCESS Annual Giving Campaign supports the valuable technology used every day by our students and staff.

Your investments help further the ACCESS mission as our team provides children and adults with a rich, well-rounded educational and therapeutic experience. Your family’s participation is the difference. Each and every gift, regardless of its size, has a significant impact on the brighter futures we are building at ACCESS. We ask everyone to give what they can, based on their financial capabilities. What a wonderful way to honor a teacher, therapist, friend or child by making a gift to ACCESS in their name! All donations to the Annual Giving Campaign are 100% tax deductible. ACCESS is 25 years strong, and with your help, we look forward to serving the community for many years to come! Together, we are ACCESS.

For questions about the Annual Giving Campaign, contact Laura Wyerick, Annual Programs Coordinator. 501.217.8600