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Temple University recently opened a new community space at Morgan Hall on Cecil Moore Avenue called TechOWL. This 2,227 square feet space provides individuals with disabilities access to high-tech devices that can assist with mobility, vision, communication, and even playing video games. The TechOWL Community Space is housed within Temple’s Institute on Disabilities in the College of Education and Human Development. It will also offer 3D printing technology to help create assistive devices.
Thanks to a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Education, TechOWL was made possible. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and State Sen. Tina Tartaglione played a significant role in securing the funding for this space. Tartaglione, who has used a wheelchair since a boating accident in 2003 that injured her spine, championed the cause. Sally Gould-Taylor, the executive director of the Institute of Disabilities, highlighted the Institute’s long history of advocacy for disabilities dating back to 1974.
The TechOWL Community Space held its grand opening on April 18th and drew a full crowd of people interested in this new resource available to them. The space features a barrier-free entrance and accessible restrooms making it open to everyone regardless of their abilities or needs. Gould-Taylor expressed hope that this new resource will become a central hub for learning and community building for individuals with disabilities across the state of Pennsylvania.”