Restoring Connections: A Vision for Indigenous-Led Assistive Technology

Access for all. Innovation for everyone.

A Letter from Elizabeth Boyte, Vice President of Philanthropy and Impact.

At CPARF, we know that assistive technology is more than just devices. It’s connection. It’s inclusion. It’s the promise of what’s possible when disabled people have the tools they need to participate in family life, cultural life, and community life on their own terms.

Over the past two years, we’ve partnered with communities to improve access to assistive technology on Tribal lands. Together, we’ve built something powerful: a model of innovation shaped by community input, lived experience, and deep respect.

And that impact is becoming a far-reaching blueprint to improve disability access in rural and under-resourced areas across the country. It’s what inspired us to start building the Disability Tech Index. It’s proof that when we work together, we can build something truly remarkable.   

We began by listening. Community members spoke about the frustration of complex systems, long wait times, expensive tools that break or can’t be repaired, long drives to appointments that aren’t always accessible, and the heartbreaking cliff of care that appears when children with disabilities age out of school and suddenly lose the support they’ve relied on for years. These are challenges that disabled people and their families face everywhere, and they remind us why this work matters so much.  

Your support allowed us to respond with solutions that make a real and lasting difference. We provided custom-fit all-terrain wheelchairs for young adults who deserve to move freely across rugged, sandy terrain; automatic door-opening devices installed in homes and community spaces so people with mobility disabilities can easily enter and exit with less pain and more independence; and recruited Ask Grandma, an Indigenous-founded early childhood app, into our accelerator to help families get tools that strengthen connection and early learning.

These technologies improve quality of life by removing barriers so that people feel seen, supported, and considered. They reinforce our commitment to building solutions with disabled people and their communities, not just for them. This is our promise.

Your generosity makes this possible. You are helping build a future where disabled people in every community can pursue their dreams, no matter their zip code.

With gratitude,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Boyte

Vice President, Philanthropy & Impact