Appalachian Center for Assistive Technology-ACAT

02/19/2026

Today, one of our Pre-Ed students from Perry Central High School had the opportunity to visit Hazard ARH for a job shadowing experience. She was able to observe daily routines and even participate in tasks such as cleaning equipment, organizing supplies, and ensuring materials were returned to their proper places.

She gained valuable insight into the profession by asking thoughtful questions, staying attentive, and fully engaging in the experience. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the OT and PT departments,especially Rachael, at Hazard ARH for providing this wonderful learning opportunity and allowing our student to explore this career firsthand.

02/18/2026

Today our ACAT team was accompanied by our Hazard High School Pre-ETS students and had a blast with the LKLP Compassionate Heart participants! We designed customized shamrock hat table toppers with 4-leaf clovers.
Huge thank you to Sandy and her amazing staff for always being welcoming and supporting our ideas. A special thank you for allowing us to bring in students and introducing them to the day to day operations, responsibilities, and activities of your facility.

02/17/2026

Today we kicked off this semester’s CARAT-TOP cohort! 🎉

We’re excited to be working with outstanding students from Perry Central, Buckhorn, and Hazard High School as they step into leadership and community development in a big way.
This semester, the cohort will continue collaborating with the County Judge Executive, the Mayor of Hazard, and the Hazard Perry County Chamber of Commerce to help plan and bring a state-of-the-art sensory park to Hazard and Perry County.

We’re proud to see these students investing their ideas, energy, and leadership into a project that will make a lasting impact on our community. Stay tuned for updates as this exciting vision continues to take shape!

02/12/2026

Today, one of our Pre-ETS students, at Perry Central, had the opportunity to participate in a job shadowing experience. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the staff at Perry Central—especially the janitorial team—for welcoming our student and allowing him to observe and learn firsthand. This experience provided valuable insight into the skills, responsibilities, and strong work ethic required to perform their job with excellence. We truly appreciate your time, support, and willingness to invest in our student’s learning experience.

02/06/2026

Thank you to the Kloiber Foundation for inviting us to attend this wonderful event, that was originally supposed to be in Morehead, but ended up being right here in our commuity. Today, we had the pleasure of attending the 2026 EKY STEM Ecosystem Summit. There were so many networking opportunities and ideas shared. We look foward to next year!ng

02/05/2026

Today, the Hazard High School Pre-ETS students prepared a spaghetti dinner. We had a great time cooking together while building important life skills.

01/28/2026

Participation Opportunity!
We’re looking for individuals to join a focus group or interview to share experiences working with individuals with disabilities—or personal experiences related to your own or a loved one’s disability.

👉 Scan the QR code or click the link below to participate.
🎉Participants will receive a $25 gift card as a thank-you for their time!

Your voice matters—help us make a difference!

https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Vu7VnthiCgaCsS

01/23/2026

✂️ Hands-on fun at ACAT! ✂️
Yesterday, our Perry Central Pre-ETS students visited ACAT and put their fine motor skills to work! They spent time in the maker space creating their very own bouquets of flowers. 💐
We loved having them and can’t wait to welcome them back again soon!

01/08/2026

01/08/2026

Thank you to the Knott County Health & Rehabilitation Center for inviting our ACAT team to participate in their spa day!
We brought 3D-printed assistive nail items, hand devices to help hold combs, and our iPads for communication so everyone could participate more independently.
We had a wonderful time with all of these lovely ladies—smiles, empowerment, and great moments all around! Loved working with our community partners at Galen College of Nursing as well.

01/08/2026

Today, our Pre-ETS students at Perry Central High School explored goals for the new year. We discussed what a resolution is and how it can be transformed into meaningful, transferable goals that can empower the students to focus on their own needs and wants. Students then used a visual triangle to identify their goals and outline steps for improving and working toward them. This activity helped create a clear vision they can revisit as a reminder to stay motivated and continue striving to be their best selves.

12/19/2025

Happy Holidays from the ACAT Team!

The Appalachian Center for Assistive Technology (ACAT) would like to wish each and every one of you a happy holiday season. We hope you and your loved ones enjoy a restful, joyful time filled with warmth and cheer.

Thank you for being part of our journey—we look forward to all that we will continue to accomplish together in the year ahead!

We will be closed for the holidays, from December 22, 2025- January 2, 2025. We will reopen on January 5, 2025 at 8:00 AM.