Reading and processing
Text-to-speech, screen reading, reading support, reducing visual load and making long or dense information easier to work through.
Got assistive technology but struggling to use it?
I offer one-to-one remote training across the UK for neurodivergent and disabled adults who want to make better use of their software and workplace tools.
Whether your technology was provided through Access to Work, your employer or purchased yourself, I can help you use it for your actual work.
Training: £100 per hour
Need a quote for your employer or funding provider? Tell me what you want help with. We will agree the training and cost before you book.
Software I can help you use
Dragon speech recognition, Read&Write, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft To Do and Planner, MindView and Ayoa, alongside accessibility features and practical AI-assisted workplace workflows.
We use the software you already have access to. Tell me the version and what you want to do with it so I can confirm whether the training is a good fit. For workplace AI tools, we work within your employer’s policies.
How remote training works
- Enquire: tell me your software, the tasks you find difficult and whether you need a quotation. You do not need to share a diagnosis or medical documents.
- Agree the plan: I confirm the scope, estimated hours and £100 hourly rate with you or the person arranging funding.
- Practise together: we meet remotely and work through your own tasks at your pace, with time to ask questions and troubleshoot.
Assistive technology that actually fits
Assistive technology can be genuinely life-changing when it is explained, set up and trained properly.
A lot of the time, though, I find myself wondering how the tool someone has been given was ever supposed to fit their actual life. People can end up frustrated, overwhelmed and barely using software that was meant to help them.
The thing is, tools only help if they fit your life. There is no point giving someone a trowel if they are not into gardening.
That is where I come in. I help you make sense of what you have been given, how to use it and, most importantly, when and where it is actually useful. Software alone is not support.
The tool is not the goal.
The goal is helping you read, write, plan, remember, communicate or get things done with less friction.
What assistive technology can help with
Writing and dictation
Voice dictation, spelling and writing support, drafting, editing and reducing the physical or cognitive effort involved in getting words onto the page.
Planning and remembering
Calendars, reminders, task management, Microsoft To Do, note-taking and ways of keeping information somewhere you can actually find it again.
Workflows and organisation
Connecting tools, reducing duplication, making digital systems less chaotic and building a workflow around the way you actually work.
Communication and access
Accessibility features, screen-reading tools, software that supports different communication or access needs, and practical setup around real tasks.
AI and everyday technology
Using AI tools, built-in workplace features and ordinary software more effectively rather than assuming specialist software is always the answer.
My experience with technology
20+ years
working in IT
AuDHD
lived experience
Practical training
without jargon or judgement
Real systems
work, study and everyday life
I have been in this game for over 20 years. In that time I have done training, documentation, troubleshooting and pretty much everything in between.
The biggest thing I noticed was that people were often given software without being shown how it was supposed to work in the context of their actual job or life. I once taught someone a few keyboard shortcuts and they looked at me like I had decoded the Rosetta Stone while brushing my teeth at the same time.
Point being: I have worked with all levels of technical confidence, and I have found that being calm and patient gets much more done than being the Roy from The IT Crowd stereotype.
After redundancy, I decided to use that experience more directly to help people make technology work for them.
How I work
I take people as they come. If you need a gentler hand, you will get it. If you have a sarcastic sense of humour, I can work with that too.
You do not need to know the terminology. If something is relevant, I will explain it as we go.
- Walk through a tool step by step
- Set it up around your actual tasks
- Practise using it in realistic situations
- Troubleshoot what is not working
- Work out how different tools fit together
- Decide what is useful and what you can safely ignore
My aim is to get you from “I’ve been given this tool” to “I understand how this can actually work for me.”
Who this is for
This may be useful if you already have access to assistive technology but are not sure how to use it, do not know how it fits into your work or studies, or feel overwhelmed by the number of tools available.
It can also help if software or digital tools have been provided through Access to Work, your employer, your university, a workplace assessment or another support route, but you need practical help turning them into something usable.
I often work with ADHD, autistic, dyslexic and otherwise neurodivergent people, but assistive technology can support many different access needs. I can also work with Deaf, deaf, blind and visually impaired people.
I am not an ADHD coach. My work focuses on assistive technology training, digital systems support and helping people use tools more confidently.
Assistive technology training options
Important note about software
Divergently Being does not provide, sell or fund assistive technology software.
I support people to use software, tools and systems they already have access to, including tools funded by Access to Work, provided by an employer, supplied by a university or already available through workplace systems.
If you are not sure whether I can support you with a particular tool or system, get in touch and ask.
Need help making your tools actually work for you?
Get in touch to ask about assistive technology training, digital systems support or Divergently Reset.
Contact usFrequently Asked Questions
How much does training cost?
One-to-one remote training costs £100 per hour. I can provide a quote with the proposed hours and total cost for you, your employer or a funding provider before you decide to book.
Can I use Access to Work or employer funding?
I can provide a quotation for software training. Access to Work and other funding providers make their own decisions about eligibility, the support covered and the rate they will fund. Confirm that the proposed training and cost are approved before booking on that basis. Your employer can also arrange training directly.
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology is any tool, software, feature or system that helps someone do something more easily, accessibly or independently.
That might mean support with reading, writing, planning, memory, organisation, communication, accessing information or reducing cognitive load.
Do I need a diagnosis to work with James?
No. You do not need a formal diagnosis to ask about assistive technology training.
I work with neurodivergent people and people with other access needs. The important thing is what you need the technology to help you do.
Can James help with Access to Work software?
Yes. I can support people to use software or tools funded through Access to Work, provided you already have access to them.
Divergently Being does not provide or fund the software itself, but I can help you understand how to use what you have been given and how it may fit into your work or daily tasks.
What kind of tools can James support with?
I can support with tools for reading, writing, dictation, text-to-speech, screen reading, note-taking, planning, reminders, calendars, task management, organisation, AI tools, workplace technology and general digital setup.
If you are unsure about a particular tool, ask before booking.
Is this ADHD coaching?
No. I am not an ADHD coach.
If you need coaching as well as practical technology support, Divergently Reset may be a better fit because it combines Sonay’s coaching with my assistive technology and systems work.
Can you help if I feel overwhelmed by all my tools?
Yes. A lot of people are given multiple tools without enough explanation about how they fit together.
I can help you make sense of what you have, what each tool is for, what you actually need and how to build a more manageable setup around your real tasks.
Do you work with organisations as well as individuals?
Yes. I can provide assistive technology training for individual employees or as part of wider organisational support through Divergently Being.
You can also read more about our support for organisations.