Appalachian Center for Assistive Technology-ACAT

05/01/2026

Today, Perry Central High School's Pre-Ets students participated in a derby-themed conference at the Sportsplex. Everyone had a great time! Students made many crafts, met new friends, and enjoyed a fun-filled day together.
Special thanks to KVEC for always showing us a good time.

04/28/2026

Today, ACAT participated in the Perry County Schools district-wide Exceptional Fun Day—and what a day it was! With the help of our Perry County Central High School Pre-ETS students, two creative and engaging games were developed and brought to life on the field. These games were shared with students from across the district, spreading smiles, laughter, and a whole lot of fun.

A big shout-out goes to some of the amazing East Perry eighth graders who truly stepped up today. They jumped right in—helping students, interacting with everyone, assisting with setup and takedown, and keeping the energy high all day long. Their kindness, teamwork, and positive attitudes did not go unnoticed.

04/23/2026

Today our PCC Pre-ETS students visited the ACAT Makerspace to design and create games that will be played next week at Exceptional Fun Day! A special thank you to Lizzie Sutton, medical student from Lincoln Memorial University, for your help and support today. We appreciate you! Our students had a great time preparing for an exciting event next week!

04/20/2026

Today we celebrated our CARAT-TOP students as they completed the 10-week program! 🎉 A certificate ceremony was held in their honor to recognize all of their dedication and hard work. We are so proud of each of these students and all they have accomplished. For their participation, Seniors were presented cords to wear at graduation! Congratulations to an amazing group!

04/13/2026

Today our CARAT-TOP students proudly presented their projects to teachers, central office staff, city officials, and the Chamber of Commerce Director. They confidently shared their ideas and answered questions about their work. We are so proud of this group. They did an amazing job!

04/10/2026

Today we had an incredible opportunity to take our Leslie County High School students from our Pre-ETS program on a tour of Toyota in Georgetown! Students got a behind the scenes look at how vehicles are manufactured from start to finish. After the tour, they had the chance to ask questions and learn more about potential career opportunities within the company. A huge thank you to Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, KY for your gracious hospitality and for inspiring the next generation of our workforce!

04/08/2026

Our CARAT-TOP students had an incredibly busy and rewarding day in Corbin, KY!

They had the honor of presenting at the annual Appalachian Research Day, hosted by the UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health. Not only that, but these outstanding students were also nominated for a Community Engagement Award and recognized for this achievement!

We’re also proud to share that our ACAT/CARAT-Top intern presented a poster during the poster session, showcasing their hard work and dedication.

We are extremely proud of all of these students and grateful for the way they represented their work and shared their knowledge with conference attendees. Keep up the amazing work!

04/02/2026

Today, the ACAT team proudly stands together in support of World Autism Awareness Day 💙

While we support autism all year long, today holds a special place as we raise awareness, promote understanding, and embrace the uniqueness of every individual on the spectrum.

Together, we continue to build a more inclusive and compassionate world.

03/26/2026

Today, the Perry Central Pre-Ets students visited the Disability Resource Center. During their visit, the students participated in an activity focused on listening to instructions and strengthening their fine motor skills. It's amazing to see how something as simple as painting a picture can encourage focus, creativity, and confidence.

03/21/2026

03/18/2026

ACAT/CARAT & KHP Poster at the 2026 KPHA conference. Michaela Amburgey is representing KHP and Keisha Wells is representing ACAT for this collaboration.

03/16/2026

Today, the CARAT-TOP students met at City Hall with local officials from Hazard and Perry County. During the meeting, students discussed the pros and cons of potential sites for a sensory park and shared the questions they developed as part of their needs assessment. The group also discussed where the needs assessment would be distributed and which members of the community would be asked to participate.