Skip to Search
Skip to Navigation
Skip to Content

University of Connecticut Assistive Technology Oral History Project

Joy Zabala

Director of Technical Assistance at CAST

September 12, 2009

Joy entered the field of disability by accident when she applied for an early childhood position, only to learn that it was a self contained center for students with disabilities. Lacking that training, she went back to school, took some additional hours, and taught at the center for three years.

The Closing the Gap (CTG) conference was just starting and Joy was encouraged to submit a proposal. She reported that she was probably better prepared for that CTG presentation than any of the others in the following 25 years.

Later Joy took a position at Region 4 Education Service Region4 where she met Diana Carl, and formed a friendship that has lasted and lasted.

Diana and Joy were presenting at the CTG Conference in 1995. In Joy's presentation she introduced what she called the SETT framework. Afterward Diana said "Where did you get that?" I said, "I made it up" and she said "you can't do that." The next year the SETT framework highlighted more than a dozen different presentations, and still continues to be important for AT professionals.

Joy also talks about the part she played in the development and growth of QIAT (Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology) and the QIAT list.

You will also learn how close Joy came to entering a Ph.D. program in assistive technology at the University of Connecticut.

Snippet 1: "How did you enter the field of disabilities?"

Snippet 2: "Tell us about the birth of QIAT"

Download: Full Transcript