Presentable

 

Exciting news! Imagine! SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems will be presenting at a workshop at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence on December 19.

The National Academies Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence provides a place for stakeholders from the public and private sectors to come together and discuss areas of common interest over a prolonged period of time.

As part of this activity, the forum will include a workshop on December 19, 2012 in Washington, DC on “Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology.” This workshop will look at the use of and access to technology, emerging technologies, and how to overcome barriers to their adoption.

Greg will be part of a workshop panel on “Technologies to Promote Activities of Daily Living and Independence,” and will speak on technologies at the environmental/systems level, using his SmartHomes experience as a background.

This is a very prestigious event, and we’re not surprised that Greg has been invited to participate. Way to go, Greg!

Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

Imagine!’s latest SmartHomes newsletter is available online.

Check it out!

Assistive Technology Partners Hosting Open House

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has declared the week of October 14-20 as Assistive Technology Week. As part of the celebration, our good friends at Assistive Technology Partners will be holding an open house Oct. 18 from 4:30 – 8:00 pm. Join them, won’t you?

 

Presentable

Imagine! PR guy Fred Hobbs spoke this morning to two groups of University of Colorado Engineering students in classes taught by Associate Professor Melinda Piket-May. For the past three years, students in these classes have worked on projects to design adaptive technologies to aid increased independence for some of the individuals Imagine! serves.

Fred gave some background on the history of services for individuals with developmental disabilities and why that history makes the student’s projects so impactful.

Click here to see videos of projects from last semester’s class.

Here’s a version of the presentation Fred gave today.

 
A Brief History of Services for People With Developmental Disabilities in Colorado – from Fred Hobbs

We can’t wait to see what this semester’s class will do!

Sharing Our SmartHome Experiences

Excited to be speaking today with representatives of Indiana’s Jay-Randolph Developmental Services, Inc. who are working through the initial steps of implementing some client focused technology in their day programming to enhance services to their clients. We’re happy to share what we know and what we have learned throughout the course of our SmartHomes project.

Lana's Train Ride To Glenwood Springs

Today, we’d like to share what Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Lana recently shared on the Imagine! Voices blog about a trip she just took:

“I left on Friday morning to go to Glenwood Springs. I got up at 4:30 to ride the train to Glenwood Springs for the weekend. I had a great time. The trip was fun. We got into the Hot Spring until I started itching. But I had fun. We went shopping, had fried chicken, and went to a Mexican restaurant. I stayed in a hotel overnight. I loved the train ride, and we saw a bunch of deer on the way back.”

Sounds like fun, Lana!

 

Research Indicates SmartHomes Project Is On Track

Research is showing that our SmartHomes are making residents more independent. Check out this short video where the researchers discuss their findings.



Can’t see the video? Click here.

John Likes Being On Innovations Advocacy Council

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident John is a member of the Imagine! Innovations Advocacy Council. That council (pictured below) recently met, and some of the topics discussed at the meeting were: “Community involvement versus community inclusion/acceptance”; “Voter registration and responsibilities of voting”; and “How to incorporate individuals with high needs into meetings and proceedings.” Read what John thought about the meeting (as well as a couple of his favorite jokes) by visiting the Imagine! Voices blog.

Mobility Matters

Mobility can make all the difference in the lives of the individuals living in our SmartHomes. Check out these photos of Anthony, who lives in the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, as he gets into a van and is able to travel around and better engage in his community. Great smile, Anthony!

Andrew's Farwell Party

Last Thursday, residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder organized a going away party for staff member Andrew Goforth. Andrew has worked at the home since it opened and is beloved by residents. He is moving on to other things (he’s going to Bali!) and we will all miss him greatly. Thanks Andrew, for all you have done for Imagine! and the residents of the SmartHome, and good luck in the future!

Andrew and Rebecca share a laugh.

John poses with the decorations.

Mandy and Chris were there to say "farewell."

Thank You, SmartHome DSPs!

For the fifth consecutive year, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution designating the week beginning September 9 as “National Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week.”

In honor of this week, we’d like to acknowledge the DSPs who work at Imagine!’s SmartHomes, who are some of the most talented, dedicated, and caring individuals Imagine! has the privilege to employ.

Thank you, SmartHome DSPs, for the immeasurable impact you have on the lives of the residents you serve.

Learn more about National Direct Support Professional Week by clicking here. 

Residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome make the American Sign Language sign for "Thank You"

AbleLink Technology: Visual Impact

AbleLink Technologies and Imagine! are partnering to create new technological solutions for individuals with developmental disabilities. Check out this short video (edited from a longer version) that shows AbleLink’s iPad application Visual Impact for step-by-step guidance through complex job duties.



Can’t see the video? Click here.

Do-si-do, Wes!

Here’s a fun picture of Wes, who lives in the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, engaging a little line dancing with friends. Do-si-do, Wes!

Using Technology To Learn Money Management (And Have Fun)

Below are a couple of photos of folks living in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome playing a game designed by University of Colorado engineering students as a fun way to develop money management skills.

Here's how the game is played: Players push a button and a light starts going around a “Wheel of Fortune” (seen in the picture with John), then push the button again, making the wheel stop on a spot that corresponds with a coin. The players mark that coin on a score card. Everyone gets five turns. At the end of the game, players add up the coins marked and answer questions about what they can buy with that much money, how many quarters are in a dollar, what they would do if they had a million dollars, and other questions designed to get players to learn while having fun.

By all accounts, the game was indeed fun – the players had a great time playing.

John presses the button to stop the “Wheel of Fortune.”

Lana and Rebecca watch the wheel closely.

In case you missed it, here’s a video of the CU Students explaining how the technology for the “Wheel of Fortune” works.

 

Can’t see the video? Click here.

AbleLink Technology: Endeavor Desktop

AbleLink Technologies and Imagine! are partnering to create new technological solutions for individuals with developmental disabilities. Check out this short video (edited from a longer version) that shows SmartHome resident Rebecca using AbleLink’s Endeavor Desktop to stay connected to her community through voice mail applications, accessible browsers, RSS text readers, and a social media interface.



Can’t see the video? Click here.

Loren At Sun Rose Cafe In Longmont

This photo of Loren (who lives at the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont) enjoying a beverage was taken at Sun Rose Cafe in Longmont. With Loren is Charles Family SmartHome staff member Jennifer, who submitted the photo.

AbleLink Technology: Task Prompting System

AbleLink Technologies and Imagine! are partnering to create new technological solutions for individuals with developmental disabilities. Check out this short video (edited from a longer version)that shows AbleLink’s task prompting system in action.



Can’t see the video? Click here.  

AbleLink Technology: Task Scheduling and Reminder Systems

AbleLink Technologies and Imagine! are partnering to create new technological solutions for individuals with developmental disabilities. Check out this short video (edited from a longer version) that shows AbleLink’s task scheduling and reminder systems in action.

 

Can’t see the video? Click here.