Welcome to the QIAT website, the official site of the QIAT Community. This website supports QIAT’s mission of guiding the development and delivery of quality assistive technology services by providing the QIAT Community with a gateway to resources.

The QIAT Community is a nationwide grassroots group that includes hundreds of individuals who provide input into the ongoing process of identifying, disseminating, and implementing a set of widely applicable Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services in school settings that can be used as a tool to support:

  • school districts as they strive to develop and provide quality assistive technology services aligned to federal, state, and local mandates
  • assistive technology service providers as they evaluate and constantly improve their services
  • consumers of assistive technology services as they seek adequate assistive technology services that meet their needs
  • universities and professional developers as they conduct research and deliver programs that promote the development of the competencies needed to provide quality assistive technology services
  • policymakers as they attempt to develop judicious and equitable policies related to assistive technology services.

The Joy Zabala Fellowship for Assistive Technology and Accessible Educational Materials

Joy Zabala Fellowship logo. Three blue pillars beside a headshot image of Joy Zabala, a woman with shoulder length brown hair smiling.

Joy Smiley Zabala (1946-2021) was an inspiring leader, a gifted communicator, a passionate advocate, and a beloved friend. The Joy Zabala Fellowship will support emerging, early career professionals who, in collaboration with a seasoned mentor, will a)strengthen their expertise and skills in services supporting assistive technology (AT) and/or accessible educational materials (AEM) and b) share what they learn with the larger community of stakeholders. The focus of this fellowship is to expand and guide the provision of services of AT and/or AEM. View a video from the Zabala family!

Announcing the 2025-2026 Joy Zabala Fellows!

The Joy Zabala Fellowship in Assistive Technology and Accessible Educational Materials is proud to announce the fourth class of Zabala Fellows. The Fellows are Mentor/Mentee partnerships with a focus on strategies to strengthen the Mentee’s skills and develop their expertise via mentored practice. The Fellows will collaborate and share their outcomes to expand and guide the provision of services with other AT and AEM practitioners.

side by side headshots of a woman with long brown hair in a blue t-shirt smiling beside and a man with short hair, gray beard, and glasses smiling.

Emily Gaylord (above/left), an AT specialist at the Arizona Department of Education, is leading a year-long Community of Practice (CoP) in Arizona to help AT and AEM professionals connect, grow their skills, and support each other, while also building her own experience in coaching and adult learning. Mentor Mike Marotta (above/right), director of the Richard West AT Advocacy Center (ATAC) is running a similar CoP in New Jersey.

side by side headshots of a woman with long brown hair, glasses, and a red flowered blouse smiling beside a woman with short brown hair, glasses, smiling with a red shirt on.

Joan Goldfarb (above/left), an OT and AT specialist for the Hamilton Boone Madison education coop will work with Mentor Paula Gumpman (above/right), a program specialist at the Georgia Department of Education,  to build capacity and sustainable practices in AT across systems at the educational cooperative.

side by side headshots of a woman with short gray hair, glasses and a green blouse smiling beside a woman with long brown hair, smiling with a white blouse on.

Donna Calhoun (above/left), an AT specialist at the Irving School District, will collaborate with Mentor Hillary Goldthwaite-Fowles (above/right). Their work plan focuses on long term AT capacity building through a one year plan that includes improving the consideration process, aligning practices with CITES, and building AT expertise among staff.

Celebrate and ensure Joy’s legacy, please make your tax-deductible gift to the Joy Zabala Fellowship today!

All donations go directly to the Joy Zabala Fellowship to support the activities of the mentorship partners. CAST, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, serves as the fiduciary agent of the Fellowship. CAST and the QIAT Leadership team donate their time and administrative support to the Fellowship.

Mail donation checks payable to CAST, Inc. Please note Joy Zabala Fellowship on the check  and mail to:

Joy Zabala Fellowship Fund, c/o CAST, Inc. 50 Salem Street, Bldg. B, Suite 103, Lynnfield, MA 01940 781-245-2212 (voice) 781-245-5212 (fax)