Issue 27 | February 2026
Special Education Technology
Center
Inclusive Insights & Access Tips
Centering What Matters: Reflections from ATIA
I recently returned from ATIA, an international assistive technology conference filled with innovation, possibility, and no shortage of buzz around AI. The conference floor was alive with demos and big ideas about efficiency, automation, and what’s next.
And yet, what stayed with me most wasn’t a tool or a feature, it was a set of reminders about what we cannot afford to lose sight of as assistive technology continues to evolve.
Voice is more than access—it’s authorship
One theme that surfaced repeatedly was how easily AAC users’ voices can become narrowed in the name of efficiency. As Brenda Del Monte shared, AAC users are often asked to confirm or deny other people’s ideas, through yes/no questions or limited choices, rather than generate their own. “Authorship is preserved through choice, not compliance.” – Brenda Del Monte
If AI is going to play a meaningful role in AAC, this is the bar: not just faster answers, but more expansive opportunities for users to express their own ideas and preserve their voice.
Participation should not require silence or sacrifice
AAC users themselves named another critical tension. Kevin Williams shared: “With gesture-based AI, I don’t have to choose between communicating and participating.”
Too often, participation comes at a cost, say less, say it faster, or risk missing the moment. Chris Gibbons described this as communication compression, reminding us that saving time should never mean shrinking expression.
The goal isn’t to make communication smaller to fit the moment, it’s to expand the moment so full communication fits.
Engagement, joy, and belonging are not extras
In conversations about innovation, it’s easy to drift toward productivity. Dr. Caroline Musselwhite brought the focus back to what matters most in classrooms: “The goal of literacy instruction is to make it engaging so the students want to do it and it’s fun.” Engagement and joy are not add-ons. When students want to read, write, and
communicate, when they feel successful and included, that’s when learning takes root.
Why this matters for all of us
As Beth Poss reminded us: “Leaders lead in part by being lifelong learners.” In a time of rapid change, leadership means staying reflective and values-driven, not just keeping up with trends. That grounding is what leads to real, lasting change in classrooms.
A question I’m sitting with
As AI becomes more present in educational spaces, I keep returning to this question: How are we ensuring that the voices at the center of our work are becoming louder, not more compressed?
That question, more than any single tool, is what I brought home from the conference.
Belonging Grows Through Being Loved
It’s February, a month of love. Being loved is a core dimension of belonging and means feeling genuinely seen, valued, and cared for within a community. In inclusive classrooms, this shows up when students are not just supported academically but are emotionally held as full members of the group. For example, when a student who uses AAC is greeted by name each morning, has peers who wait for their message, and sees their ideas celebrated during class discussions, they experience that they matter. Thoughtful accessibility and inclusive practices create the conditions where love is expressed through everyday interactions, not just intentions.
Centering what matters means using tools and strategies, including AI and accessibility supports, in ways that protect voice, expand participation, and strengthen belonging.
Use AI to expand choice, not replace voice.
When supporting AAC users, use AI to generate multiple message options that reflect different tones, ideas, or perspectives, then let the student choose, edit, or reject them. This preserves authorship while reducing communication compression.
Learn more about Brenda Del Monte’s work on AI and authentic communication at her next virtual conference, “Future of Presuming Competence: AAC, AI & Authentic Authorship,” hosted by SETC.
Accessibility Tip: Build access into everyday routines.
Check that core vocabulary boards, captions, visual supports, and alternative response options are available to all students before instruction begins, not added later for a few. When access is built in from the start, participation and belonging increase for everyone.
Learn more about proactive accessibility through CAST’s Universal Design for Learning framework.
SETC SPOTLIGHT: Meet Sara Ayars
“When we center connection, curiosity, and collaboration, barriers become opportunities and students become leaders of their own learning.”
“One belief grounds my work: challenges that feel overwhelming can become powerful opportunities when we approach them together.
This belief has been shaped by nearly two decades of working alongside educators and families, and by my own experience as a parent of two neurodivergent children. As a specialist in AAC and inclusive practices, I support teams in reframing obstacles and building systems where every student can participate meaningfully. For me, this work is about more than tools or strategies. It is about creating spaces rooted in connection, collaboration, and curiosity, where student voices are not just supported, but valued. When we do this work together, we do more than support individual students. We strengthen entire communities.”
Among Sara’s many roles with SETC, you may find her supporting teams through technical assistance, writing the newsletter, leading professional development, and building the new Exploratorium as a space for discovery and growth.