Join us for a live presentation and interactive discussion
February 2026
February 19, 2026
Explore the Joy Zabala Fellowship’s history of success and its future vision as it recruits its fifth cohort of AT and AEM leaders.
Date and Time
- Thursday February 19, 2026 3:00 PM CT
- Presenter: Joan Breslin-Larson & Terry Foss
- Online via Zoom
The Joy Zabala Fellowship for Mentoring in Assistive Technology and Accessible Educational Materials
The Joy Zabala Fellowship For Mentoring in AT and AEM is currently recruiting its 5th class of Fellows. The Fellowship matches emerging leaders in AT/AEM in educational settings with experienced practitioners. The Fellowship Partners are matched and work together for an academic year, developing systems changes, based on a workplan developed by the mentee. Learn more about the Fellowship, achievements for the first 4 Fellowship Partnerships, and plans for the future.
Joy Zabato was perhaps the biggest thought leader in assistive technology ever in the history of assistive technology. When she was at CAST, she led a community of people through creating the quiet indicators for assistive technology. After she passed a few years ago, a group of people who had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by her decided to set up this mentoring program to help new people in the field of assistive technology understand how to do things the Joy way. Join us to hear about the mentoring program, what it takes to get involved, and the resources shared during that process.
Takeaways:
- Mentoring in AT/AEM results in improved access to services for students with disabilities
- Systems change strategies implemented with fidelity improves educator skills and knowledge
- Mentoring relationships become sustainable relationships
Meet Your Presenters
Joan Breslin Larson, M.Ed. is an independent consultant on issues relating to AT. Her work has a particular focus on policy, leadership and developing effective teams to improve services for assistive technology in special education. She was formerly a supervisor for services for students with low incidence disabilities at the Minnesota Department of Education and as an AT and UDL specialist. She has worked in AT for over 30 years, as an independent consultant, in a school setting and at the state education agency. Joan lives in Minnesota, and is the parent of three adult children, one of whom had an IEP.
Terry Vernon Foss, M.Ed. Terry is a special educator and AT specialist. Her areas of expertise are: developmental differences; autism; severe to moderate differences in communication and behavior; sensory-based communication; and AT/AAC. She is co-author of Every Move Counts, Clicks and Chats: Sensory-Based Strategies for Communication and Assistive Technology, Every Move Counts, Clicks and Chats: A Family Guide for Sensory-Based Strategies for Communication and Assistive Technology. Terry lives in Kansas and continues to support the AT community. Terry is a founding member of the QIAT