About the Masthead
About AdaptedTechnology
Paul Mitchell
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
A decade following assistive tech procurement debates, policy shifts, and product cycles across disability advocacy forums, OT professional literature, and manufacturer release histories.
The question that kept coming up — in disability advocacy spaces, in parent forums, in SLP listservs — was never 'does assistive technology exist?' It was always 'which one, at what price, for this specific situation?' The gap between a product's marketing language and what owners actually reported six months in was wide enough to cost families thousands of dollars and months of frustration. That gap is what this site exists to close.
What I bring to this is a researcher's stubbornness about sourcing. I track owner communities on Reddit, dedicated AT forums, and caregiver Facebook groups the way an analyst tracks earnings calls — systematically, over time, watching for the patterns that single reviews miss. When a $1,200 AAC device consistently draws complaints about software update instability eighteen months post-purchase, that signal matters more than the five-star launch-week reviews. I also read the published specs, the independent accessibility audits, and the clinical literature that compares device categories, so the recommendations here are built on layered evidence rather than any single data point.
The way this site works is straightforward: every guide starts with a clear statement of who the product category actually serves, then maps the market from entry-level options up through premium and professional-grade devices. I name brands and price points directly — Tobii Dynavox and PRC-Saltillo in AAC, Maltron and Matias in adaptive keyboards, Contacta and Williams Sound in hearing loop systems — because vague category descriptions are useless to someone making a $4,000 purchasing decision. Affiliate links to Amazon, EnableMart, AbleNet, and specialist retailers fund the site; I disclose that clearly on every page.
What we refuse to do is flatten this market into a commodity comparison. Assistive technology is not a space where 'cheapest option that technically works' is a responsible editorial stance. A $90 switch interface and a $600 one are not interchangeable for every user, and pretending otherwise to keep recommendations simple would be a disservice. We also refuse to make medical claims, diagnose, or prescribe — those decisions belong to qualified clinicians. Our job is to make the product landscape legible so that the conversations between users, caregivers, and professionals start from an informed baseline.
This site is written for the person who has already decided they need a solution and now needs to understand the market: the adult with low vision comparing screen magnification hardware options, the parent of a nonspeaking child trying to understand the difference between robust AAC systems, the OT building a recommendation list for a school district, the retiree researching hearing loop compatibility before a major purchase. If you are doing serious research before a significant decision, this is built for you.