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Next GCDD Council Meeting: October 22-23, 2026 (Savannah)

Technology Education Initiative

Grantee
Blue Fire Digital

Grant Duration
2022-2026 (still in progress)

Five-Year Plan Goal: Targeted Disparity

By 2027, GCDD will engage in activities that increase access to technology in order to decrease barriers to education, employment, housing, transportation and healthcare for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in rural and underserved areas.

Project Description

  • Research (2022-23). A two-year Technology White Paper documenting the state of technology use, resources, barriers, and disparities facing Georgians with I/DD in both metropolitan and rural areas; benchmarking "Technology First" practices in leading states; examining Georgia's new waiver Assistive Technology provisions; and producing clear, action-oriented recommendations along with a plain-language Easy Read version.
  • Education (2024). A statewide Technology Education Initiative that translated the White Paper's findings into accessible, hands-on training for people with I/DD, their families, and direct support professionals, delivered through monthly virtual sessions and an in-person Tech Summit.
  • AI and Emerging Technology (2025-26). A current-year expansion into Generative AI and Enabling Technology training, connecting Georgia participants to a national Disability AI Learning Community.

Outcomes

Over the four years of the project, the achieved outcomes have been:

  • A comprehensive, research-based understanding of the technology barriers and disparities facing Georgians with I/DD — including the impact of the rural broadband and digital divide, and estimates of unmet need.
  • Clear, actionable policy and programmatic recommendations GCDD can act on within its current five-year plan.
  • Increased knowledge, independence, and self-determination among people with I/DD, their families, and the professionals who support them, through direct technology and AI training.
  • A durable, reusable library of training curricula, How-To Guides, PowerPoints, and recorded sessions housed for future audiences on the project website and provided to the Council.
  • Standing advisory structures (the Project Advisory Committee, later the Tech Access Advisory Committee) of Georgia and national disability leaders guiding each phase of the work.

Description of Activities

2022 — Technology White Paper (Year One)

Description: Launch of the research phase — build the advisory and co-sponsor infrastructure and gather primary data (surveys, focus groups, interviews) on how Georgians with I/DD use technology and the barriers they face, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Completed activities:

  • Create and convene a quarterly Project Advisory Committee (PAC) of people with I/DD, families, allies, and national technology/I-DD experts.
  • Recruit up to ten co-sponsors to assist with recruitment and dissemination of surveys and focus groups.
  • Conduct three online surveys: 100 people with I/DD, 100 family members, and 50 technology experts/allies.
  • Conduct three online focus groups (10–15 participants each).
  • Interview a subset of successful users of technology (Appreciative Inquiry method).
  • Conduct a national survey/interviews of leading states, DD Councils, DD Offices, P&A organizations, and UCEDDs, emphasizing the Southeast (later modified to interviews with "Technology First" states).
  • Provide quarterly reports, with the final White Paper to be completed in Year Two.

2023 — Technology White Paper (Year Two)

Description: Completion of the research phase — deepen the national benchmarking and deliver the final White Paper and its Easy Read version.

Completed activities:

  • Convene the quarterly PAC established in Year One, adding three families of people with I/DD.
  • Conduct an in-depth examination of states recognized as "Technology First" leaders, with a focus on Southern states (Tennessee, Oklahoma), via interviews with state DD officials across roughly 15 states.
  • Examine the implementation of Georgia DBHDD's new waiver Assistive Technology provisions.
  • Complete interviews with successful users of technology.
  • Deliver the final Technology White Paper to the Council, plus a plain-language Easy Read version.

2024 — Technology Education Initiative

Description: Translate the White Paper's findings into statewide, accessible technology training for people with I/DD, families, and direct support professionals, capped by an in-person Tech Summit.

Completed activities:

  • Plan and deliver eight accessible training sessions — seven web-based (90 minutes, monthly) and one in-person Tech Summit (Macon or Atlanta) — twice the four sessions required by the RFP.
  • Recruit participants statewide (urban, suburban, rural) through collaborating partners, flyers, project website, and social media; recruit provider organizations as Tech Host Agencies.
  • Develop and administer a satisfaction survey (quantitative and qualitative) to all participants and report results to the Council.
  • Transform the White Paper PAC into the Tech Access Advisory Committee (TAAC) and convene it monthly.
  • Create and post training curricula, How-To Guides, PowerPoints, and recorded sessions on the project website and provide them to GCDD.

2025 to Present — AI and Enabling Technology for People with Disabilities

Description: Expand training into Generative AI and Enabling Technology, helping Georgians with I/DD, families, and professionals use AI tools effectively and safely, and link them to a national learning community.

Expected activities:

  • Deliver seven monthly 90-minute virtual training sessions pairing Generative AI (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity) with a rotating technology topic.
  • Plan and deliver one Virtual Tech Summit featuring local and national tech experts and providers in breakout sessions.
  • Convene the Project Advisory Committee quarterly.
  • Conduct project evaluation via participant satisfaction surveys plus a new AI-use/proficiency survey.
  • Invite and connect Georgia participants to the national Disability AI Learning Community (meeting bi-monthly).

Notable Activities and Accomplishments

2022 — Technology White Paper, Year One

  • Established a Project Advisory Committee anchored by national experts, including Dr. Michael Wehmeyer (University of Kansas), Ruby Moore (Georgia Advocacy Office), and Katie Chandler (Sangha Unity Network).
  • Completed the core Year One data collection: approximately 170 surveys, focus groups, and 45 interviews with people with I/DD, families, technology experts, and state officials.
  • Secured an approved contract modification shifting the national survey objective to direct interviews with Technology First states.
  • Conducted 22 interviews in a single reporting month, including 13 state Technology First officials across OK, MO, MA, CT, MN, OH, WA, KS, PA, TN, CO, DC, and MI, plus seven PAC members and two self-advocates.
  • Recruited co-sponsors including Tools for Life (Georgia Tech), the Georgia Advocacy Office, Uniting for Change, and Sangha Unity Network.

2023 — Technology White Paper, Year Two

  • Completed and delivered the final Technology White Paper and its Easy Read version on time (March 31, 2024) — the central deliverable of the two-year research effort.
  • Grew the Project Advisory Committee to roughly 25 members and held the final PAC meeting on March 21, 2024.
  • Completed interviews with state DD officials across in about 15 states (OH, PA, TN, WI, DC, MI, MO, MA, CT, CO, MN, OK, RI, WA) to identify Technology First best practices.
  • Examined the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities' new waiver assistive technology provisions.
  • Submitted the year-end project effectiveness report (March 31, 2024); work published on the project site: https://mytechforall.com/georgia/

2024 — Technology Education Initiative

  • 350 people registered for the training series; participant satisfaction reported at 97%.
  • Delivered all seven virtual training sessions (Nov 2024 – May 2025):
  • Held the culminating in-person Tech Summit on July 9, 2025 at the Georgia Advocacy Office, Atlanta — attended by ~30 people, including 6 people with disabilities and 2 officials from the state Division of Developmental Disabilities; featured an Amazon Alexa Echo giveaway and six handouts.
  • Hosted six in-person tech vendors/experts at the Summit: TechFirst SHIFT, MapHabit, Tools for Life, Simply-Home, Therap, and Champions Place@Home (Community Foundation).
  • Convened the Tech Access Advisory Committee, with the final PAC/TAAC meeting on May 8, 2025 (14 members attending, including new leaders from Tools for Life and DBHDD's Division of Developmental Disabilities).
  • Produced and posted How-To Guides, PowerPoints, and session recordings on the project website and provided them to the Council; provided CART captioning at the Summit and Zoom AI captioning/transcripts for virtual sessions.
  • Reporting note: The "other individuals" participation performance measure came in well below its 500 target (21 cumulative reported), even as satisfaction targets (95%) were met — worth flagging when comparing planned reach to reported reach.

2005-Present — AI and Enabling Technology for People with Disabilities (in progress)

  • Assembled an expanded partner roster including the Georgia Advocacy Office, DBHDD, Tools for Life, Friends of Adults and Children with Disabilities, Georgia Library Association, Sangha Unity Network, The Arc (US), TechFirst SHIFT, MapHabit, SimplyHome, and Therap Services.

Contact for Questions

Rena Harris,