Patty Walsh-Cassidy Assistive Technology Lending Library

"Be a bubble-blower, not a bubble-popper." Patty Walsh-Cassidy (1961-2009)

Become a sponsor: Donate

On November 10, Collaborative and CCATT Center staff held a dedication ceremony to remember Patty and to formally launch the PWC Lending Library project. Read about the dedication in this story by Diane Lederman from The Republican, and stay tuned for more stories and photos from the evening. Many thanks to all those who came and made it a wonderful night.

 About the PWC Lending Library

Patty Walsh-Cassidy had a vision: she saw a world in which some children struggled to communicate, and believed things could be different. In November 2011, the CCATT Center will honor her legacy as a teacher, trainer, speaker, and innovator, with the formal launch of the Patty Walsh-Cassidy Assistive Technology Lending Library.

Assistive technology is any device or service that allows individuals with disabilities to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. The term encompasses a wide range of items, equipment, or systems to aid people in need of mobility, visual, auditory, speech, physical, and cognitive support.

Housed at the CCATT Center at the Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton, MA, the PWC Lending Library will be a home for assistive technology equipment, products, and materials. Library users will have the ability to explore for themselves the range of available assiststive technology resources and determine which best match their needs before committing to purchase. It will help open the door to possibility, and enable students with disabilities to reach their goals instead of being relegated to the sidelines.

Read more about the vision for the PWC Lending Library (1-page PDF).

Help Us Build Our Collection
We are at the beginning stages of establishing our library collection, which is made possible in part by gifts from the innovative companies that create the products and technologies needed by people with disabilities. We also rely on financial and in-kind donations from anyone who has the desire and the means to give. Find out more about what your donation can do. Become a PWC Lending Library Sponsor by visiting our Donor page, or click to download a Donor Form (1-pg PDF).

About Patty and the CCATT Center
"Patty understood that communication is an intimate connection between two people, and a means for developing relationships."  - Parent

Driven by her conviction that every child should have the education, tools, and support they need to have their voices heard and their dreams realized, Patty Walsh-Cassidy served the Collaborative for 20 years as a speech pathology and assistive technology specialist. In 1995, she was instrumental in founding the Collaborative Center for Assistive Technology and Training (CCATT), which assists individuals, families, and professionals to address alternative and augmentative communication needs.

The CCATT Center's multidisciplinary team of teachers and therapists bring extensive classroom experience and a wealth of expertise to their work with school districts throughout the region to help students access curriculum through technology. Specialists with extensive experience in augmentative and alternative communication, adapted computer access, and assistive technology for individuals with disabilities help students ages PreK-22 explore solutions that suit their needs. The CCATT Center introduces  teachers, professionals, and parents to the latest in assisitive technology and guides educators, schools, and districts to promote access for every student. Learn more about the CCATT Center.

About the Collaborative for Educational Services

For 35 years, the Collaborative for Educational Serives has been working with schools, families, young people, and communities in the Pioneer Valley and throughout the Commonwealth to create and improve educational opportunities both in and out of the classroom. We are committed to supporting learners of all ages through high-quality early childhood education and care, after school programs, and academic and vocational opportunities for adolescents and young adults.  At CES, we believe everyone is a learner, and we are committed to reaching and educating all young people and helping them find their pathway to success.