Ezra Reynolds

Assistive Technology Professional, Enabling Technology Solutions, LLC

Discover how enabling technology can help older adults stay independent, connected, and informed. Learn practical tips for using your phone, calendar, the internet, and smart home devices to make daily life easier and more manageable.

Jessica Daiger & Tami Hux

State Manager, SafeInHome & Remote Supports Consultant

Embark on a transformative journey with us as we delve into the groundbreaking realm of Remote Supports, witnessing how this innovative service is reshaping staffing delivery. We will explore how technology empowers individuals, bridges gaps in challenging in-person staffing situations, and addresses staffing crises with unparalleled efficiency, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional in-person staff.

Rachel Levy & Michael Cash

Customer Success Manager, VoiceiTT & Senior Product Specialist, VoiceiTT

Learn how voice technologies are helping people with speech disabilities communicate. Following minimal training, programs like VoiceiTT, captures the voices of people with difficult to understand speech and outputs clear vocal speech and text.

Jennifer Cunningham

VP of Client Services, Star Center

With the progression of smartphone accessibility features and apps over the last 20 years, the way we live, work, and play has been drastically transformed into something we could have never imagined.

Steve Sutter

CEO and Founder, CreateAbility

Learn how Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT will change all of our lives and the potential benefits and worries for people with disabilities.

Jennifer White

CEO, Able Opportunities

Join us to see people supported to create their own reference tools, capture and track their own tasks and report directly to their employer. Hear from employees and employers about the shift when clear visual expectations and tracking are set.

Drew Simonik

Enrollment Specialist, StationMD

This session will cover the benefits of telehealth services. StationMD allows people to enjoy their lives with the extra comfort of knowing there is 24/7 care available.

Jeremy Robbins

Senior Support Specialist, Therap

An introduction to the world of Smart Technologies that can help you learn more about your health and well-being.

Chris Patterson

Owner, Night Owl Support Systems

Remote Supports are fast becoming a popular method of supporting individuals with disabilities to achieve their goals of greater independence. Join Chris as he dives deep into the service to outline its benefits, showcase success stories, and provide practical tips for implementing the service for individuals you support.

Katie Moore & David Taylor. Moderated by Ruthie-Marie Beckwith

Self-advocates share how they are using AI to gain independence, confidence, and new opportunities. Hear their personal stories, insights, and demonstrations of how AI is making a difference in their lives—and how it can in yours too!

Tom Keating

Founder and CEO, Cognitopia

Get Serious About Self-Determination and Take Control of Your Life with Cognitopia’s Web-Based Self-Management Apps.

LaKesha Page

Director, Able TN

Administered by the Tennessee Department of Treasury, ABLE TN empowers Tennesseans with disabilities to save and invest with tax-free earnings, while taking advantage of low fees, diverse investment options, and convenient online management—all to help participants maintain independence and quality of life.

Marra Piazza Brass

Technology Integration Specialist, Lumicare

In a rapidly evolving digital world, staying current with technology is essential. This presentation will explore why keeping assistive and enabling technologies up to date matters, how outdated tools can impact quality of life and care, and practical strategies for evaluating, upgrading, and implementing modern solutions. Stakeholders will gain insights into balancing innovation with accessibility, sustainability, and person-centered outcomes.

Milton Neuenschwander & Peach Chinratanalab

Director, Tennessee Enabling Technology Program

Wearable technology like smartwatches, smart glasses, and wireless earbuds help people live healthier, more accessible, and independent lives. These devices can track health, give reminders, offer GPS directions for safety, help with communication, and support staying active in their communities.

Constance Harrington

Director of Education & Accreditation, Shift

Session Description:
Join us for an engaging session that explores how the Technology First approach transforms services by keeping people—not devices—at the center. We’ll uncover how enabling technology, when intentionally integrated into person-centered planning, opens up new pathways to independence, connection, and self-determined lives.

Through real-world stories—including a powerful vignette of a young woman experiencing her first independent bite of food and an agency’s bold decision to avoid closure through remote supports—you’ll see how technology is more than a tool—it’s a catalyst for dignity and possibility.

We’ll also examine how pilot projects, specialized training, and data-driven decision-making create the conditions for meaningful and scalable change. You’ll learn why embedding Technology First into formal policies ensures alignment, accountability, and sustainability—and how flexibility and creative problem-solving help avoid silos and outdated thinking.

Whether you’re just starting to explore enabling technology or looking to strengthen your system-wide approach, this session will equip you with practical strategies, inspiring examples, and a renewed commitment to centering the person in every conversation.

Speaker Bio: Constance Harrington is the Director of Education and Accreditation at SHIFT, where she leads national efforts to advance the meaningful integration of enabling technology into services for people with differing abilities. A widely respected subject matter expert with over 20 years of experience, Constance is known for her deep commitment to person-centered innovation and systems change.

She has advised policymakers, guided organizations through transformative initiatives, and delivered dynamic presentations and trainings across the country. Her work bridges strategy and practice—supporting providers, teams, and individuals in using technology to expand autonomy, reduce barriers, and create opportunities for people to live the lives they choose.

Constance holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and is a proud graduate of the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities. Whether she’s developing national accreditation standards or coaching frontline staff, Constance brings clarity, passion, and a person-first focus to everything she does.