Beginning in 2017, Jeff Jonna, a lover of movies, technology, and big hugs, began to learn how to communicate using his iPad. Jeff was nonverbal with additional IDDs who had difficulty communicating his needs and wants. He began his journey unable to type a single letter and overwhelmed by the responsiveness of the technology. Over the course of 4 years, Jeff worked diligently with the pilot of the Tech Buddies program to learn how to communicate with his iPad. Now, he has the ability to call and text his parents anytime, watch his favorite shows, and utilize the technology around him. 

Jeff's journey to achieve digital literacy inspired our team to create a program that could allow others to experience the same benefits that Jeff gained. First, his experiences opened our eyes to the evident communication divide in the IDD community, where digital illiteracy hinders integration of the IDD population within online communities. Working with teachers and professors, the team created a comprehensive platform that synthesizes learnings from Jeff and builds off of tried and true methods of teaching communication skills.