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CTA Foundation News

Austin Tang — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:05:17 +0000

By Steve Ewell ● Feb 19, 2025

Smart Brevity^® count: 2 mins…567 words

The CTA Foundation celebrated an incredible CES^® 2025, highlighting accessibility innovation and collaboration. From assistive devices to smart home solutions, CES showcased cutting-edge technologies empowering people of all abilities and reinforced the Foundation’s commitment to a more inclusive future.

Keep reading to learn about some exciting announcements we have to share:

Meet the CES 2025 Innovation Challenge Winners
Inside the CTA Foundation Accessibility Roundtable: Key Takeaways from CES
Startup Innovation Takes Center Stage in Eureka Park Pitch CompetitionStartup Innovation Takes Center Stage in Eureka Park Pitch Competition
And More!

As always, thanks for your support.

1. Innovation Challenge Highlighted Digital Healthcare Solutions

The CTA Foundation kicked off CES 2025 with the Innovation Challenge, focusing on improving digital healthcare access for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Finalists Eyedaptic, MapHabit, ONSCREEN, Inc., and VIF showcased their solutions on stage, with ONSCREEN, Inc. taking the top prize for its technology designed to empower individuals with IDD in managing their healthcare.

2. Bringing Leaders Together: Accessibility Roundtable and Reception

More than 120 attendees, including disability advocates, industry leaders, and innovators, gathered for the Accessibility Roundtable to discuss assistive devices, inclusive design, and accessible technology solutions.

Organized in collaboration with CTA’s Government Affairs, Technology & Standards teams, and the new Accessibility and AgeTech Working Group, the discussion set the tone for the week.
Later, the Accessibility & AgeTech Reception provided a valuable networking opportunity for advocates and industry professionals to continue conversations and explore collaborative solutions.

3. Startups Took Center Stage in the Eureka Park Pitch Competition

Nine startup finalists took the stage for the CTA Foundation Pitch Competition, presenting innovative AI-powered solutions that enhance health and accessibility.

MakeSense Technology won the Grand Prize for “The Vector,” an AI-powered navigation device for individuals with low vision.
Sign-Speak and Voinosis were recognized as runner-up and Audience Choice winners for their groundbreaking technologies.

4. Media and Funders Tours Showcased Accessibility Innovation

The CTA Foundation brought accessibility innovation to the spotlight at CES 2025 with two exclusive tours:

Accessibility Media Tour: Journalists met the winners of the Eureka Park Accessibility Contest — Blueberry Technology Inc., Lotus, MakeSense Technology, Sign-Speak, and Soliddd Corp.These companies showcased groundbreaking tech, ranging from real-time sign language translation to haptic navigation devices. The tour concluded with a final stop at Amazon’s CES exhibit, where attendees explored the company’s latest accessibility initiatives.
Funders Tour: Sponsors and supporters got a firsthand look at cutting-edge assistive technologies. This tour highlighted the impact of industry collaboration and investment in assistive tech, reinforcing the importance of continued support in driving innovation and inclusion.

5. #GivingTechDay Doubles Donations from Last Year!

Thank you to the individuals that shared #TechGives stories, and the 34 individuals who generated $15,200 in funding to turn #GivingTuesday into #GivingTechday for the CTA Foundation. We are humbled by your support and generosity and look forward to turning your charitable gift into accessibility for all ages in 2025!

6. Thank You to our 2024 Industry Partners

CTA Foundation would like to instead a warm thank you to those in the consumer technology industry who have directly supported our mission last year and help put accessibility at the forefront of CES.

Go deeper: Interested in joining our partners, participating in our Industry Partner Council, and championing accessibility and aging tech? Contact nzundel@ctafoundation.tech to learn more.

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Bringing Awareness to a Rare Condition Graft-Versus-Host Disease GVHD Day is February 17th

Austin Tang — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 16:57:45 +0000

Listen to “Bringing Awareness to a Rare Condition Graft-Versus-Host Disease GVHD Day is February 17th” on Spreaker.

Graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, is a rare disease that commonly impacts allogeneic (meaning cells come from a donor) blood and marrow transplant recipients.1

http://gvhdalliance.org/

Living with GVHD can be overwhelming for patients, as well as their caregivers and family. The disease creates many daily life challenges which can adversely affect physical functioning, bodily pain, chronic fatigue, general health, vitality, and social functioning, among other things.2 People living with GVHD can also face physical, functional, and psychosocial deficits that result in the inability to return to work or school.2

Since people living with GVHD may lack access to valuable resources that can help them live their best lives, leading transplant groups (with support from Sanofi) have formed the GVHD Alliance to bridge the gaps that exist in the unmet needs of the patient community. The first GVHD Day on February 17, 2023, will elevate voices in support of people impacted by the condition.

Dr. Corey Cutler, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Medical Director, Stem Cell Transplant Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Vice President, American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) and GVHD patient Meredith A. Cowden, MA, AT, LPCC-S, Patient Advocacy Director of the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation, will be available on Thursday, February 2nd to discuss the inaugural GVHD Day, the importance of bringing attention to this rare disease, and a new website for the GVHD community to access a variety of educational resources and support tools.

When you book a window, we’ll provide you with guest bio & suggested questions. Interview is courtesy: Sanofi

References
1. Justiz Vaillant AA, Modi P, Mohammadi O. Graft versus host disease. In:
StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538235. Accessed November 10, 2022.
2. Lee SJ. Classification systems for chronic graft-versus-host disease. Blood. 2017;129(1):30-37.

#gvhdalliance #gvhd #graftversushostdisease #bringingawareness #february17 #drcoreycutler #meredithacowden #stemcell #physicalfunctioning #bodilypain #chronicfatigue #generalhealth #vitality #socialfunctioning

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Nadine Hack Get Together BeCause

Austin Tang — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 19:57:49 +0000

Listen to “Nadine Hack Get Together BeCause” on Spreaker.

#nadinehack #together #because #nonprofit #goodsamaritans #bringingcausestolife

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Selina Maitreya, Bringing Purpose to Being and Spirit to Living

admin — Wed, 28 May 2014 15:53:23 +0000

Selina Teaches
In a previous and parallel life, Selina Maitreya was and is a highly regarded consultant to commercial photographers worldwide. A published author of 2 best-selling books and global lecturer, Selina has for the past 30+ years guided Creatives to form deeper vision and refine their inner spirit.
Prior to and concurrent to her coaching career for the last 30 + years, Selina has been a spiritual student studying many philosophies, and spiritual practices. Drawn to the simple yet powerful idea that We Are All ONE; that our natural inheritance is LOVE, and that our actions affect not only us but every single energy entity, Selina began to live her life as her practice. Committed to responding from LOVE to life’s many challenges, gifts and experiences, Selina began to live what she now calls: Practical Spirituality. Her life completely shifted and she realized that regardless of external circumstances as she responded to life through one of the many faces of love;kindness, gratitude, grace, compassion, wisdom and tolerance she was creating an existence that was peaceful and abundant, relationships that were rich and meaningful.
In the summer of 2013 Selina experienced a life changing experience that reinforced that the work that she had done to live in LOVE, was truly practical. About to sell her house of 20 years and begin a new life in NYC, Selina’s car was hit by another. Due to the automobile event, Selina was left severely impaired and brain damaged, unable to walk in her life for several months. Not knowing how she was to move into a new life or earn a living Selina continued to feel blessed, and was never concerned for her fate. She was unable to hold conversation or use her brain for tasks, yet she was left in a position where constant meditation and rest were required. During this time she was visited continuously by Spirit. Messages were downloaded daily and she was informed that her life was shifted forever. She was told that her lifelong role as “Teacher” was about to take another turn. Knowing that her practice of responding to all from LOVE , was the reason for her total certainty and lack of striving during a hugely life changing event, Selina became committed then and there to being a spiritual teacher helping others to respond to life as love, as they build lives guided by PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY.
Selina lives in NYC and would be honored to assist you and share with you how Practical, Spirituality can truly be.

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