Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

Imagine!’s latest SmartHomes newsletter is available online.

Check it out here.

And you can sign up for our newsletter here.

SmartHome Residents Present on Social Media Use at Colorado Assistive Technology Coalition

Imagine! SmartHome residents Gerald and Donna are members of the Colorado Assistive Technology Coalition - An Advisory Council to the Assistive Technology Program of Colorado. At a meeting held on March 27, 2012, the two shared the spotlight to provide the meeting's "Mission Moment." The two discussed their experiences using Social Media and how meaningful it is to them. The volume is a little low on this, so turn it up -- it is well worth hearing!

Simple Adaptations Help Donna At Work

SmartHome resident Donna works at Boulder-based InClover, placing bin lot number stickers on the bottom of Grin Treats bags. The bag has a fold at the bottom, which is fairly easy to open if the consumer has use of both hands, which is not the case with Donna. Her right hand works well; the left is not so cooperative! So to make it possible for Donna to do this job independently it was necessary to create a couple of different ways to hold the bag in place so she could apply the sticker. Richard Lowe, who works for Imagine!’s Labor Source department, had a creative solution to this challenge. Check out the photo captions to see what he did!

The first step was taking two paperclips and bending them slightly at an upward angle, and taping them to the table so that Donna can slide the bag onto them; the paperclips anchoring the bottom fold.

The second step was taking two boxes of gloves and taping them together so that they hinge.  Donna can reach up and flip the top box over onto the Grin Treats bag, which holds it down securely. 

From here she is able to place a sticker on a right hand finger, and with another finger open the fold, then place the sticker. 

She then flips the box back up, and repeats the process.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Next Monday, April 2, we have a lot of folks touring the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, including representatives from Jefferson County Human Services, ten Americorps volunteers currently working at Denver’s Marycrest Assisted Living, and new Imagine! Foundation Board member Chuck Sisk (along with current Imagine! Foundation Board President Sandy Bracken).

Wow, that’s a lot of people interested in seeing first hand how technology is changing the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

You can take a tour, too! Just click here to sign up online! 

.Longmont SmartHome Cooking Class

These photos were taken at the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. It seems more functional that the residents learn how to participate in food preparation in their own house than in a classroom. The class was making a vegan pizza, with a sauce made with puréed white beans and garlic, and toppings of spinach, onions, apples, and potatoes. No kidding.

Using his Dynavox, Wes quickly greeted the photographer with: “Hello,” “How are you?,” and “It’s good to see you.”

Sarah adds measured spices to the pizza sauce.

Wes adds measured spices to the pizza sauce.

Sarah cutting an onion with Dani’s assistance.

Sarah cutting an apple with Dani’s assistance.

Loren pours a cup of measured onions into the bowl.

Loren puts spinach on the pizza.

Sarah adds spinach to the pizza.

Wes needs some hand over hand assistance from cooking class Instructor Dani, but his smile and enthusiasm make it plain that he enjoys participating in the preparation of the meal. Here he adds spinach to the pizza.

Cleaning up is an important part of cooking. Here Sarah wipes off the table.

Cleaning up is an important part of cooking. Here Loren wipes off the table.

The pizza is almost ready to come out of the oven.  Afterwards, the class gets to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. 

Sarah and Shelly Go Skiing

Here’s another great picture of Charles Family SmartHome residents Sarah and Shelly during their recent skiing outing at Winter Park. 

See more photos here.

Fred Hobbs Presents At ARRM Tech Conference

Pictured is Imagine! PR guy Fred Hobbs presenting at a panel at the ARRM Technology Conference in Minnesota. Fred shared stories about how SmartHome residents are using social media to connect with their communities. Fred also hosted a roundtable discussion and presented at two breakout sessions. Well done, Fred – now get some rest!

Check Out Donna's Latest Blog Post!

Spring, Easter, and flowers are all on SmartHome resident Donna’s mind. Learn more in her latest blog post!

SmartHomes Guru Delivers ARRM Keynote

Imagine!’s SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems gave the opening keynote presentation this morning at Minnesota’s ARRM Technology Showcase. The presentation was entitled “Strategically Incorporating Technology into Your Operational Process.” Greg spoke about how organizations can incorporate technology into their strategic planning, as well as providing specific best practices for implementing technology to improve the quality of services and supports.

Greg also took part in a panel discussion on “Lessons and Issues for Successful Technology Deployment,” which provided key lessons and issues for deploying technology on behalf of people with disabilities.
Greg’s not done, either. Tomorrow Greg will be presenting at a session on Imagine!’s SmartHomes.

Way to represent Imagine! and our SmartHomes, Greg!

Presentable

SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems and Imagine! PR guy Fred Hobbs are scheduled to present at the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) 2012 Mid-Year Conference & Directors Forum: Smart Solutions through Technology and Leadership Practices this June.

Good luck guys, we know you’ll do great!

SmartHome Communications Class

Enjoy these photos from a recent class for residents of the Charles Family SmartHomes. The residents are learning how to use their DynaVox communications device so they can communicate their needs and desire better, as well as control their own environment.

Shelly operated her communication device with her head switch and quickly went through a few pages to let us know what day it was, what class she was in, her teacher’s name, and that she had a doctor’s appointment later in the day.

At the end of class, now that the work was done, there was time to play a game.  Using her computer with this page, Shelly chose to play a game of coin toss, then chose what coin she wanted tossed (a dime), and whether it would come up heads or tails.  She chose heads which is what came up



As class is winding down and the game of coin toss is being played by Shelly and her classmates, Shelly demonstrates great pleasure after choosing a song by Lady Gaga



When it was mentioned that her nails looked nice, Shelly held out her hand so it could be photographed.

One of the pages on Shelly’s screen.

You can see Toby’s blue head switch for operating his computer.

Toby in communication class.

SmartHome Skiing At Winter Park

Charles Family SmartHome residents Sarah, Shelly, and Wes recently had some fun in the great outdoors skiing at Winter Park Ski Resort. Check out the pictures!

Computer Set Up For Assistive Technology Lab

Check out this photo of a computer set up at Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab. The tech lab is a cornerstone of the second phase of Imagine!’s SmartHome project – moving technology out into individual and family homes. Note accessible features such as a bigger keyboard and an adjustable arm with a switch for wheelchair users with limited mobility.

You’ve Got Mail

Staff members at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome are reporting that residents living in the home have really taken to their new email platform, and have been sending emails frequently to friends and loved ones. Residents are sending emails an average of two or three times per week – pretty good considering just a year or two ago they didn’t use any kind of email system!

The residents are sending the emails via the Endeavor Desktop Environment, created by AbleLink Technologies. 

The Endeavor email system features a picture-based address book, available for those who need it, and automated audio files can be used as an alternative to written text for users with limited literacy skills. Additionally, text-to-speech can read standard text-based messages aloud to the recipient as desired or needed.

When users log into Endeavor Desktop Environment, personalized content is available within their custom desktop using dynamic buttons configured with descriptive images and audio to facilitate access. A single click on a desktop button delivers the latest content in an accessible format according to the user’s personalized accessibility profile. The need for drop-down menus, drag and drop, scrolling and double clicks can be confusing for some users. Endeavor Desktop Environment eliminates these barriers, giving everyone a simpler, faster and more rewarding computing experience.

Those features have made it easier than ever for SmartHomes to reach out and become more engaged with their families and their communities. We’re excited to see what the future will hold.

SmartHomes Project: Phase II Update

Now that the construction of our SmartHomes is complete, the attention of our SmartHomes team is focused upon how to best transition into the next phase of the project. This phase includes demonstrating how technology and SmartSupports (technologies that can be put into individual or families homes so individuals with intellectual disabilities can remain independent longer) can be implemented to create a sustainable long-term care service delivery system.

To achieve this goal, we’ve pulled together a new “distributed innovation group” that has constructed a plan focused on applying what we have learned from our SmartHomes project research to help identify strategies to test existing technology to enhance and support consumer independence, create staff efficiencies, and gather care metrics for greater accountability, decision making and transparency.

We will keep you posted as we move forward.

Thank You Rotary Club of Longmont St. Vrain

Today we’d like to say “thank you” to the Rotary Club of Longmont St. Vrain for their generous donation of $500 for the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont.

Check Out Donna's Latest Blog Post

SmartHome residents Donna and Gerald went skiing last week. How did it go? Check out Donna’s latest blog post to find out.

Pledge To End The R-Word

Today (March 7) is Spread the Word to End the Word Day. Get the details below, and pledge your support to eliminate the demeaning use of the R-word.

WHAT

Spread the Word to End the Word is an ongoing effort by Special Olympics, Best Buddies and supporters to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word “retard(ed)” and encourage people to pledge to stop using the R-word.

The campaign, created by youth, is intended to engage schools organizations and communities to rally and pledge their support at http://www.r-word.org/ and to promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

WHEN
The official annual day of awareness is held the first Wednesday of every March. While most activities are centered on or near that annual day in March, people everywhere can help spread the word throughout their communities and schools year-round thru pledge drives, youth rallies and online activation.

WHO

Spread the Word to End the Word was founded by college students Soeren Palumbo (Notre Dame 2011) and Tim Shriver (Yale 2011) in 2009, and continues to be led by passionate young people, Special Olympics athletes and Best Buddies participants across the United States and in many other parts of the world.

Celebrity activist John C. McGinley is a spokesperson for the campaign.

WHY

Respectful and inclusive language is essential to the movement for the dignity and humanity of people with intellectual disabilities.

HOW
Visit http://www.r-word.org/ to learn how you can Spread the Word to End the Word.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Thanks to Imagine! Foundation Board Member Rick Nelson, who brought three guests for a tour of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome yesterday.

If you’d like to take your own tour, click here.

Thank You, Boettcher Foundation

Today we’d like to thank the Boettcher Foundation for its generous grant of $20,000 to support the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder.

Since 1937, The Boettcher Foundation’s mission has been to invest in the minds and mortar of Colorado. The grant from the Boettcher Foundation was used toward the construction of the SmartHome.

This support is vital to one of Imagine!’s most ambitious projects. Over the past five years, Imagine! has built, and is currently operating, two SmartHomes. Imagine!’s SmartHomes provide permanent affordable housing for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities, and they incorporate cutting edge technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of services and supports for the residents.

As the first such homes in the nation, Imagine!’s SmartHomes are serving as a model for the future of residential care for people with developmental disabilities. They enhance the lives and independence of residents, augment the effectiveness of staff as caregivers, and provide cost and energy savings to Imagine!.

In addition, the SmartHome model has enormous potential to impact groups of people with related concerns (dementia, autism, chronic mental illness, and Alzheimer’s), as the homes are serving as living laboratories to create and test “SmartSupports” – assistive technologies that can be used in family homes to keep individuals with any kind of cognitive impairment living in their own homes for as long as possible.

Wall Mount Is A Big Hit

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald’s wall mount (designed by CU School of Engineering students) for his DynaVox computerized communication device is proving to be a big hit. Gerald loves the new mount, which allows him to control his TV and computer from bed. Gerald can scroll through channels, mute the TV, open up his YouTube account, or send an email, all on his own from the comfort of his own bed. A great example of a simple technology making a big difference. Thank you CU students!

Here’s a video of the wall mount:

Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

Imagine!’s latest SmartHomes newsletter is available online. Check it out here.