Check Out Our Latest SmartHome Video

Last Friday was the Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction. Proceeds from that event’s Special Appeal went to support Imagine!’s SmartHomes project. Check out the video below that was shown during the event to see how far we’ve come with this project, and where we’re headed next.

Donna's Diary - January 2011

How did the folks living in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome celebrate New year’s Eve? Find out in Donna’s latest online diary entry below.

And for more of Donna’s diary entries, click here.

I had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you did too. I got lots of presents from Gerald, of course. Mainly clothes, and I love ‘em. He got me some suits, sweaters, and pants, and they are all very nice. I also bought myself two pair of shoes, not everything has to be a present. I got Gerald some cologne that I like the smell of, and he thought it was a good idea for me to get him cologne that I enjoy. On Christmas, Gerald, Mandy, and I were home. With Gerald being my husband and Mandy being so easy to get along with, it was my second great Christmas at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome.

We had a lot of activities going on at that time. And boy, am I glad I go to the church I go to. It’s the Church of Latter Day Saints in Boulder. Not only is it a good church with nice people, but I kid you not, I got a LOT of presents from them too. I was quite surprised, as I was not expecting any presents from anyone at church. You know how it’s really neat when you’re not expecting anything and you get it. Two people from my church come by to visit me now and then, and it means a lot to me that they would take the time to do that.

We had people over on New Year’s Eve. Some of the residents and staff from 19th Street Group Home and from Linden PCA came by. Also, my good friends Linda and Christian from The Station, where I used to live before coming here, came over. I always like seeing Linda, we’ve been friends for years. Christian is JT’s brother (JT lives with us here at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome). They really have a good time together, they are like little kids, playing, laughing, and having fun. Now that Christian’s got a daughter, I don’t think he has much time to play with JT though, he spends time with his daughter, which is good.

I stayed up until after midnight on New Year’s Eve playing games on the computer in Gerald’s room. Finally, around 2:00 am I shut it off and went to sleep, but I was still up and at ‘em by 7:00 am. Well, thanks for keeping up with what’s going on in my life, and I hope you have a Happy New Year.

Gerald Using New Camera

We mentioned last week that SmartHome resident Gerald received a camera that can be mounted to his wheelchair and operated by a head switch, giving him more independence. Here’s a few pictures of Gerald using the camera to take pictures and videos.

SmartHome Residents Testing Task Prompting That Assists Employment

Several residents of the Bob and Judy SmartHome are helping to test some task prompting systems that may assist individuals with developmental disabilities in gaining and keeping meaningful employment.

The residents have teamed with the engineering team at Assistive Technology Partners to test an innovative project funded by the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) as part of the RERC-Workplace Accommodations Grant. This project is exploring the use of two different task prompting systems that could aid an individual with a disability in successfully performing assembly line tasks. Task prompting is similar to creating a check list to make sure the proper steps are being performed in the correct order for a given task.

The job that was chosen involves packaging Chocolate First Aid Kits. The first aid kits contain chocolate bars and bottles of chocolate candy. The kits are sold in gift shops throughout the United States.

The SmartHome residents are using two different types of prompting systems, so the researchers can compare the two systems and determine if one is more effective then the other. In both systems, there is a checklist or sequence of tasks that need to be preformed. In the first system, the individual must determine if the task has been performed and then hit a button to check it off the list and proceed to the next task. In the second system, a tool is developed to determine if the task has been performed. The tool utilizes sensors placed in the environment to know what has been completed. If the task has been completed, the next step is automatically presented.

The researchers hope to discover that the second system is more effective then one which relies on a human to hit a button to advance to the next step. The use of this information will be valuable in helping devise future projects for helping individuals with cognitive disabilities be successful in employment settings.

Thanks to Assistive Technology Partners for providing the information for this post, and for allowing SmartHome residents to take part in research that may have a powerful impact on their independence and quality of life.

Mandy Writes For Imagine! Newsletter

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Mandy has been using the technology available to her in the home to contribute original articles to the Imagine! employee newsletter. Take a look at a few pictures of her in action.

It’s Not Too Late: Support the SmartHomes by Attending the Imagine! Celebration

The Imagine! Celebration, the annual fundraising event of the Imagine! Foundation, will honor the Foundation’s first decade and promises to be bigger and better than ever! In order to accommodate 400+ guests and approximately 200 auction items, the event will again be held at the newly renamed Plaza Hotel Longmont (formerly the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center). Some proceeds from the event will support Imagine!'s SmartHomes.

It’s not too late to put Friday, January 28, 2011 from 5:30-10:00 p.m. on your calendar! Special activities in celebration of the Foundation’s first ten years and its raising of $4,000,000 are planned.

Thanks to its popularity and proven results, electronic bidding will make its fourth appearance! The Imagine! Foundation was one of the first non-profits in the area to try electronic bidding three years ago, and it is now showing up at more and more events. It’s easy, fun, and allows guests to enter their bids on hand-held “tablets,” check periodically to see what items they are winning, and find “bargains,” all without having to leave their table or group.

As always, the announcement of the Consumer of the Year will be a highlight of the event.

See you on January 28th!

More info here.

Purchase tickets here.

Online auction here.

Gerald's New Camera

Sometimes it’s the simple assistive technology devices that can make all the difference. Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald recently received a camera that can be mounted to his wheelchair and operated by a head switch.

For the first time in his life, he’s taking his own photos! Imagine what something like that can mean for a person’s sense of independence and self esteem, as well as the opportunities that become available for creative expression.

We’re looking forward to seeing lots of pictures, Gerald!

Wes On Vacation

Late last year, Charles Family SmartHome resident Wes took a trip to North Carolina to see his brother. Here’s a few pictures of the trip – looks like he had a great time!

Carolers at the SmartHome

A nice moment last month when some carolers visited the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome and sang some lovely holiday tunes to the residents and staff.

Living Laboratories

Building our two SmartHomes was only the beginning of our SmartHomes project. In fact, it was the easy part!

Now, we are working to make the homes into living laboratories where new technologies can be researched and developed (or current technologies can be adapted) to serve the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities (and related conditions) so they can remain independent. Achieving this goal will also have the added benefit of making services far less costly.

Our hope is to partner with a variety of organizations to provide research data that will help us to learn more about what works and what doesn’t.

For example, in October 2010, members of Imagine!’s SmartHomes team met with researchers from Colorado WIN Partners to discuss some of their findings from their year-long study involving residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. The researchers were looking at how the technology in the SmartHome was impacting the residents’ lives.

Click here to see a white paper with details from this inaugural in-depth research study on our SmartHomes.

Bid On Items – Help The SmartHomes

The Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction is scheduled for Friday, January 28. Some of the proceeds of the event will go to our SmartHomes project. Even if you can’t attend, you can participate in an online auction to support this ambitious project.

To do so, just click here. Once you go to the site, just enter a maximum amount for each item you wish to bid on. This bid will be incorporated into the Live Auction on the night of the event. The highest bidder acknowledged by the Auctioneer shall be the winning bidder. If you are the winning bidder and are not present at the event, you will be contacted within 24 hours of the close of the auction (approximately 9:00 p.m. on January 29, 2011). If you would like to secure and purchase the item today, you may acquire it for the Buy It Now price.

The items available for auction are pretty cool! There are trips galore from California to Greece, a Mediterranean feast and several other catered meals in your home, an elk hunt (see picture), fly-fishing expedition, sailing lessons, Disneyland tickets, an African safari, many restaurant certificates and hotel stays, and much, much more!

Happy Birthday Loren!

Charles Family SmartHome resident Loren celebrated his birthday late last month. In the holiday rush I’m afraid we failed to wish him a happy birthday. So happy belated birthday Loren – here’s wishing you many more!

Leisure Time

It’s not always about technology at the SmartHomes. The residents have plenty of fun, too. Here’s a couple of photos of Rebecca, who lives at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, enjoying a little leisure time.

Support the SmartHomes – Attend the 10th Annual Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction

The Imagine! Foundation reaches its 10th anniversary this year. The Imagine! Celebration, the annual fundraising event (with much of the proceeds going to our SmartHomes project) of the Imagine! Foundation, will honor the Foundation’s first decade and promises to be bigger and better than ever!

In order to accommodate 400+ guests and approximately 200 auction items, the event will again be held at the newly renamed Plaza Hotel Longmont (formerly the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center). Please put Friday, January 28, 2011 from 5:30-10:00 p.m. on your calendar! Special activities in celebration of the Foundation’s first ten years and its raising of $4,000,000 are planned. As always, the announcement of the Consumer of the Year will be a highlight of the event.

Meanwhile, new and exciting auction items are arriving every day!

We’ll have trips galore from California to Greece, a Mediterranean feast and several other catered meals in your home, an elk hunt, fly-fishing expedition, sailing lessons, Disneyland tickets, an African safari (see photo), many restaurant certificates and hotel stays, and much, much more!

More information about sponsors, auction items, and all of the festivities is available on the Imagine! website and the Imagine! Facebook page. Check back frequently for the latest updates!

Ticket and table prices remain the same as last year at $95/each for tickets and $1,250 for tables of ten.

Purchase tickets quickly and easily online.

Reserve now, and we’ll look forward to seeing you on January 28th!

Another SmartHomes Shout Out!

David Braddock, Ph.D., Professor and Executive Director of the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities gave a keynote address at the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) 2010 Annual Conference in November. His address offered a sobering view of the state of the states. Dr. Braddock said that, for the first time since he began collecting federal spending data in 1972 – and probably since the Great Depression - total inflation-adjusted public intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) spending declined in the U.S. in 2009.

However, he did provide some examples of new approaches to service delivery that offer rays of hope for the future of DD services, including a substantial shout-out to Imagine!’s SmartHomes project.

Check out slides 52-60 below for more on the SmartHomes, and check out the rest of the slides to get a better sense of why this ambitious project is so necessary.

Many thanks to Dr. Braddock for giving us permission to share his presentation.

David Braddock Keynote Address NASDDDS 2010 Annual Conference

View more presentations from Fred Hobbs.

SmartHome Shout Out!

Many thanks to Doyle Albee, president of Metzger Associates, for sharing our video about using assistive technology at Imagine! to provide access to Social Media to those we serve on the Metzger blog. Doyle founded the Social Media Practice Group at Metzger in 2005 and is an expert in the field, so we sure appreciate the shout out!