History of Assistive Technology at Imagine!

Imagine!’s SmartHomes didn’t appear out of nowhere. Imagine! has been exploring how technology can be used to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of services to individuals for almost as long as it has been in existence.

Want proof?

Check out the piece below on the history of the use of assistive technology at Imagine!. The piece was written by members of Imagine!’s Leadership Development Group as part of a proposal for a new assistive technology program for seniors. That proposal itself indicates that Imagine! continues to explore new an innovative ways to serve its community.

Enjoy!

At Imagine!, technology is not just a buzz word, but a way we provide services. From the trainings we provide to caregivers, to how each individual accesses and navigates their environment, technology is the conduit in which we provide our support. While some form of technology has always been a part of Imagine!’s culture, the real pursuit of integrating that type of support into how we provide services and how individuals learn and communicate began long ago.

In the 1990’s, Imagine! utilized cell phone technology through Labor Source, Imagine!’s vocational provider. Later, this technology was also used for our day program services. This provided an additional edge on communication between team members and ensuring safety for the individuals Imagine! was serving in the community.

By the late 1990’s, Imagine was utilizing interoffice email and cell phone technology, and was ready to invest in using technology to benefit not just the transference of information, but a transformation of information. In other words, Imagine! began to identify a need for technology and communication for the individuals we were serving.

Communication devices were not being used toward functional communication and Imagine! began to evaluate how these devices could be used more efficiently. Technology was embedded into classes at our CORE day service program, and individuals began to use their technology to communicate in a way they never could before.

A sensory lab was started which focused on how the environment changes in response to an individual’s movements and responses. For example, a video game could be played by projecting an image onto a screen and using a person’s head movements to play. Later, a computer lab was created so that individuals could access the internet, Microsoft applications, and social media. Currently, there is an assistive technology lab which uses big buttons, joystick mice, adaptable keyboards, touch screens, and head tracking in order to facilitate communication from consumers who were previously not able to do so on their own. Dayspring, Early Intervention, and Innovations are beginning to test the use of mobile touch screens like tablets and iPads to access applications and software systems. It is likely that this type of technology will be incorporated in how service and therapy are provided.

There is a partnership between the Imagine!’s technology department and speech therapists to design communication plans so that individuals are not only practicing their communication, but utilizing the available technological resources to achieve their goals. These teams are collaborating in order to have unified plans across residential and day program services, so that there is consistency and a knowledge base to practice skills and learn new ways of communicating.

Imagine!’s use of assistive technology doesn’t stop with classes at the day program, but is embedded in the construction of houses for our individuals. In 1997 Imagine! was provided a grant that funded assistive technology devices at the Cottonwood apartments. The voice and picture prompting systems, and communication system allowed for individuals to be more independent and effectively respond to their environments.

In 2004, Imagine! began to implement environmental control systems into a home that supported three DynaVox users know as the Tech PCA (Personal Care Alternative). The home used a variety of x-10 systems, web-based communication tools and media servers to give individuals access over their environment and computers.

In September 2009, Imagine! broke ground on the first SmartHome in the country that was designed specifically for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities. Through the help of the Imagine! Foundation, a second home opened in Longmont in 2011. These homes provide a technology foundation and adaptable equipment for monitoring systems, support systems to access laundry, adjustable counters to access food preparation and cleaning, and individualized technology supports in each bedroom so that communication is a part of all interactions.

Each component of the SmartHomes has been developed with technological insight and creativity so that all parts of the house are being used for ease of navigation and communication. These homes also serve as an ongoing test environment for evaluating effective technology in supporting individuals with cognitive disabilities. A comprehensive technology screening tool has also been developed to measure and document the progress of each of the individuals utilizing the supports.

Another home is currently being constructed, and it will have an emphasis on older adults and their needs. While the other homes have been called “SmartHomes,” this house will have some of the same infrastructure like the technology and wiring, but will be used on an individualized basis rather than on a global one.

Imagine! is currently partnering with AbleLink in order to provide remote monitoring systems in homes. This partnership also allows access to communication within social networking sites. For example, there are bigger icons on computers to run programs like Facebook and Skype, and to talk into a computer microphone so that an individual who does not type could send emails and write letters.

While Imagine! has emphasized the use of technology for working with the individuals we serve, Imagine! also uses technology for the administrative and training end of providing support. In the early 2000’s, Imagine! invested in a program called NetSuite, which provided a systematic method for organizing information and data collection. This system is used not only for financial coordination and tracking, but also for data collection for the individuals we serve so that caregivers may analyze an individual’s progress. In 2004, Imagine! developed MedSupport, an online system to organize and track medication distribution for consumers. This program was used by 27 providers in 9 states before being developed into a for-profit partnership with CaraSolva. Online file storage and organization was brought to Imagine! in the mid 2000’s with Questys. Later, our timecard, personal information and benefits were moved to computer based systems for ease of access in the pursuit of information safety.

While the administrative end of Imagine! moved away from paper based documentation to computer and web based documentation, in 2003 Imagine! developed content for the systematic teaching and training of Imagine!’s employees. This LMS (Learning Management System) allows users to access trainings online through their personal computers. This program ensures the consistency of trainings across Imagine! employees so that information is distributed and learned throughout all the different facets of Imagine!. This program is shared with two other community center boards and at least five Program Approved Service Providers (PASA’s) utilize Imagine!’s trainings for their employees, which shows that Imagine! is the cornerstone of computer based education in the community.