Since the moment Steve Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011, he has publicly and persistently battled the devastating neuromuscular disease that is usually fatal within five years of diagnosis.Watch interviewThough Gleason was eventually robbed of his ability to walk and talk, he still makes sure he is heard loud and clear. But everyday Steve is totally dependent on others.Gleason spoke with me when I recently visited his home to see, up close, his daily challenges, the technology that helps him deal with it all and his vision for defeating ALS.Gleason's home is unlike anything most people have ever seen. It's totally automated. The doors, window shades, lights, thermostat and more are all controlled by his eyes. He gets around in his customized wheelchair, complete with the tablet that brings the world to him. He tweets, emails, listens to music, watches videos and surfs the internet. It's what keeps him connected and keeps him going on a daily basis."Nothing is easy and I need help for everything physically. I think it's hard for someone who isnt familiar with ALS to envision what I mean when I say, 'Everything,'" Gleason said. He types words with his eyes using the tablet connected to his wheelchair.When people see him in public, that appearance is the culmination of a lot of hard work. Just getting ready for the day can take 90 minutes."'Everything' means brushing my teeth, showering, feeding me, adjusting a finger or scratching my nose -- literally everything," Gleason said. "We have worked hard to try and replace the things that I used to love to do with new meaningful activities."A healthy person's challenges will likely pale in comparison to Gleason's daily challenges. He said he struggles every day with the reality of his situation."When I choose to see my situation as an opportunity, the rewards are incredible. I know that I'm helping inspire people with disabilities and even people without disabilities. All people search for meaning and purpose in life," Gleason said.As he navigates his wheelchair from room to room inside his home, the challenges are obvious. A man who was once so active - and whose mind is still as active as his body once was - stuck inside that body that no longer works. He is still as sharp as ever, but responding to anything takes time and patience."Wait, sorry," Gleason said, as he hit the wrong key on his tablet.Sometimes a sly smile gives away his feelings before he can type anything. Or a slightly arched eyebrow. But otherwise, this slower pace is Steve's reality. A reality he's grown used to. If Steve ever feels overwhelmed, it's not obvious on this day. He's proud of the gadgets at his disposal. They help him live a better life while he pushes the limits of today's technology and breaks down barriers. The U.S. Senate recently passed the Steve Gleason Act, which would make the technology Steve uses immediately accessible to everyone battling ALS. The legislation is pending in the U.S. House."It's encouraging how far we have come in such a short time," Gleason said. "Simply put: Medicare committed a blunder when they chose to deny people like myself access to technology," he said.Since his diagnosis four years ago, Steve has been an inspiration to people all over the world. He went skydiving, he climbed Machu Picchu in Peru and he helped ignite a firestorm of donations and ALS awareness worldwide through last summer's ice bucket challenge, which raised north of $20 million."I think the Ice Bucket Challenge was an incredible global phenomenon that helped make ALS a common name and created momentum in the ALS community," Gleason said.It's all in the name of helping himself today, and on a grander scale, beating ALS."I don't really look at my life in terms of legacy, I prefer to focus on what's happening now," Gleason said. "In that sense I believe that me having ALS means that millions of people in our future will not have ALS."In part two of our conversation with Steve Gleason, I looks at Steve's relationship with his son, Rivers, and how they interact with one another. I'll also delve into a documentary set for release in 2016, which chronicles Steve's fight with ALS, plus his relationship with Microsoft and its groundbreaking technology Steve uses every day.RELATED:Senate passes Steve Gleason Act of 2015, added as budget amendmentSteve Gleason seeks birthday wish from Lady GagaFormer Saint Gleason attends State of the UnionBill Gates: Meeting Gleason 'inspiring'Gleason raises bar for ALS awareness in naked ‘Ice Bucket Challenge,’ challenges New Orleans mayor, Drew Brees