Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Scheduled to tour Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder next Monday: Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors members Richard Ackerman and Janet Martin, and Kaitlin Sullivan, who is interested in writing a story about the SmartHomes for BoulderSource.com, the online magazine of RE/MAX of Boulder.

Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

The latest SmartHomes newsletter is available online

Check it out here. 

Presentable

Imagine! SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems presented at the 2014 Alliance Summit on “Technology COPs – An arresting presentation on how three organizations from around the country are working together to improve services and supports.”

Here is a description of his presentation: COPs, or “Communities of Practice,” are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something, and work together to do it better. The session will highlight how Imagine!, New York-based Living Resources and Connecticut-based Ability Beyond are working together to improve services and supports through technology. The three organizations regularly share information and resources and have worked together to design an assessment that helps organizations identify and prioritize technologies to improve the supports they provide. Attendees will learn about this successful collaboration along with a demonstration of the assessment. 

Check out the PowerPoint from his presentation below.

Technology COPs – An arresting presentation on how three organizations from around the country are working together to improve services and supports. from Fred Hobbs

Bliss After Moving Around

The residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome are temporarily displaced as the floors of the home are being replaced. They are making the best of the situation, though. Pictured are John, Rebecca, Rae, and Lana in their short-term digs at a hotel in Boulder. They have clearly found comfort in their new temporary living situation and are enjoying each other’s company. They also found a little bliss in the form of ice cream on the Pearl Street Mall with staff member Cailin McCarthy.

Happy Birthday Donna!

Wishing the happiest of birthdays today to Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna (shown here with her sweetie Gerald and showing a picture of her in the eighth grade). Make it a great one, Donna!

Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday comes from Imagine!’s Assistive Technology Lab facilitator Stephanie Tilley. Stephanie is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist who has worked for Imagine! for more than 10 years, and is the author of “101 Adapted Games for Kids,” which provides adaptations for children’s activities to create inclusive activities and environments.

At Imagine!’s Boulder CORE/Labor Source location, we have been working on incorporating technology into all of our classes.

Recently we had an Art and Technology day during the Art at Work class. Clients worked on taking pictures of themselves or objects in the classroom on iPads. Clients worked with staff on how to rotate the camera and frame their shots. They also worked on focusing, zooming, and cropping the photos.

After the clients had taken some photos, they reviewed the photos and talked with staff about different colors and artistic designs in each photos. Clients then decided which photo they wanted to paint. Using the Brushes app, each client imported a photo and painted on them by matching colors available on the iPad to the colors in their picture. The clients then added their own touches to the photos.

In the pictures below, I am helping Rebecca use the Brushes program on the iPad to paint on a picture of herself. Rebecca did an amazing job color matching and working on her fine motor skills and choice making while painting. She even gave her hair some highlights!

John Is Saving Up For A Trip

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident John has been working to earn money for a trip he’d like to take to Disney World. He told us: “I'm saving money for the trip from my job at Celestial Seasonings. It's a tea factory. We work with boxes and bottling. Some of what I do there is with the pallets. I put six boxes on a pallet, then cover it with a big, flat piece of cardboard, then put more boxes on it.” John has always been a hard worker, below is a picture of him working at The Hungry Toad last year. Keep it up, John!

SmartHome Volunteer Is 7Everyday Hero

We told you last week that Ingrid Winter, who has been bringing her therapy dog Raven to Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder every week for the past two years, was selected as a 7Everyday Hero by Denver’s 7 News because of her work at the home.

If you missed her segment, you can watch it by clicking here. 

It’s pretty awesome!

Donna's Inspiring Quote

Inspiring quote from Donna, who lives in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder:

“It's nice to be helped once in a while, but it's also nice to help others. If you don't enjoy helping others, your life can be miserable. Helping others can be fun, and you've got to have a little fun.” 

John Cheers On The Spurs

Here’s a nice picture of John, who lives in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, watching the NBA finals last week. John was hoping for the San Antonio Spurs to win the championship, because “the Miami Heat won last year.” John got his wish, so congrats to him (and the Spurs!)

Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday comes from Suzanne Phillips, Communication Teacher at Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source Longmont hub. She gives details on the exciting news that there is now an adaptive technology lab at the Longmont hub. 

We have completed the adaptive technology (AT) lab at Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department’s Longmont location. Alex Andrews, Chris Baumgart, and I have been working on our new AT lab for several months and it is finally complete. This lab is accessible to everyone at CORE/Labor Source, but it has been designed specifically for five individuals who are non-verbal, do not have communication devices, do not use body language cues to indicate their preferences, and have very limited mobility. We are excited to introduce these individuals to technology using adaptive computer games and switch-activated sensory items.

 Let me take you on a tour of this new lab!

We have installed interactive cause-and-effect games (created by our own Stephanie Tilly) on five computers using Boardmaker Studio Player. These games teach the fundamentals of computer based cause-and-effect to students who have no prior experience with technology. (If a student presses a switch, something interesting happens on the computer screen.) Some games require only one switch, but as the students’ progress they can work up to four-switch differentiation. Each computer has at least eight of these games ready to go!

The lab also includes a variety of switch-activated sensory items set up to teach cause-and-effect. Some of these items are fairly simple, such as a small desk fan or a light-up disco ball. After connecting these items to a Powerlink, both can be turned on with the press of a switch. We also have more sophisticated cause-and-effect teaching tools, including several projects that University of Colorado Boulder’s engineering students have created for us.

I look forward to seeing how our student’s interact with this new lab, and I hope to report back with success stories very soon. Below are a few pictures of the lab.

Stay tuned!

Presentable

Imagine! SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems is presenting this week at the 2014 Alliance Summit on “Technology COPs – An arresting presentation on how three organizations from around the country are working together to improve services and supports.”

Here is a description of his presentation: COPs, or “Communities of Practice,” are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something, and work together to do it better. The session will highlight how Imagine!, New York-based Living Resources and Connecticut-based Ability Beyond are working together to improve services and supports through technology. The three organizations regularly share information and resources and have worked together to design an assessment that helps organizations identify and prioritize technologies to improve the supports they provide. Attendees will learn about this successful collaboration along with a demonstration of the assessment. 

Good luck, Greg!

Congratulations, Ingrid!

Ingrid Winter, an Imagine! volunteer, has been selected as a 7Everyday Hero by Denver’s 7 News.

Ingrid has been bringing her therapy dog Raven to the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder every week for the past two years. Ingrid and Raven support and cheer on the residents as they do their physical therapy exercises. The residents love to snuggle and pet Raven, and Raven loves getting treats!

Pictured below are Rebecca (sitting), who lives at the SmartHome, Raven (showing her Christmas spirit), and Ingrid.

This past Wednesday, a 7 News crew visited the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome to film a segment about Ingrid and the great work she does. There will be plenty of opportunities to check out the finished segment on Ingrid in the next week. The segment is scheduled to run on Denver's Channel 7 on:

Sunday, June 15th at 10pm 
Monday, June 16th at 5am 
Thursday, June 19th at 11am 
Saturday, June 21st at 5pm 
Sunday, June 22nd at 7am 

Or, starting Monday and for the next month, you can view the story about Ingrid by clicking here. 

Congratulations, Ingrid (and Raven), and thanks for making such a difference in the lives of individuals served by Imagine!.

You can see more photos of Ingrid and Raven at the SmartHome by clicking here, here, and here. 

Donna Tours AMR

A group of Imagine! CORE/Labor Source participants, including Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna, recently got a tour of AMR (American Medical Response) and got the skinny on all the great gadgets they use! Thanks AMR for your service to our community!

Under Arrest!

Here’s a great example of how much fun the staff members and residents of our SmartHomes have together. In this photo, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome staff member Cailin feigns distress while Gerald enjoys that she has been handcuffed to him. Gerald is a big supporter of law and order, with one of his favorite characters being Walker, Texas Ranger. We were told that Gerald purchased the handcuffs online with money he earned at his job at Twisted Pine Brewery.

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s SmartHomes were created to act as living laboratories for testing and refining technologies that can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of service provision for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and to create new opportunities for independence for those individuals. Imagine! is well into the second phase of its SmartHome project, moving technologies out of the SmartHomes and into other service areas as well as individual and family homes. Imagine!’s SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems, along with tech superstars Alex Andrews and Chris Baumgart, are sharing the presentation below with Imagine! employees and others in the field, discussing how we are moving from the SmartHomes to SmartSupports.
 

From SmartHomes To SmartSupports from Fred Hobbs

East Carolina Behavioral Health Tour Beneficial All Around

Last Thursday, representatives from East Carolina Behavioral Health visited Colorado and spent the day with Imagine! staff members.

The visitors included Leza Wainwright, Executive Director; Cindy Ehlers, Deputy Director of Clinical Operations; Joy Futrell, Deputy Director of Administration; Sarah Grey, Director of Community Resource Development; Rose Burnette, Director of I/DD Care Coordination; Melissa Whisnant, Innovations Coordinator; and Christie Edwards, Community Resource Development Liaison. Also joining the group was Leesa Galloway, Mental Health Program Manager from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The group toured the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, and throughout the day met with various Imagine! employees and discussed a wide range of topics, including consumer assistive technology and screening tools; enterprise applications; funding and fundraising; remote monitoring; Imagine!’s technology labs; and social media.

The group asked great questions, provided insightful comments and advice on our efforts, and everyone agreed is was beneficial for all involved.

Thanks for joining us!

Happy Birthday, Mandy!

Wishing the happiest of birthdays today to Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Mandy. Make it a great one, Mandy!

Congratulations Leona!

Congratulations are in order for Leona Stoecker, a great friend of Imagine!'s SmartHomes project, for being awarded the Stan Black Award by the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County. The Stan Black Award is named for one of the founders of The Community Foundation. Stan is retired now, but continues to be an active participant in a number of causes, both in the Boulder area and overseas. The Community Foundation presents this award annually with the sponsorship of the law firm of Hutchinson, Black & Cook and the additional support individual donors. The award is intended to honor an individual who, like Stan Black, has given a lifetime of "time, treasure and talent" to the community.

That is certainly true of Leona, who is one of the SmartHomes' greatest ambassadors. The award included a check for $1,000 for the organization of Leona’s choice, and we’re honored she chose Imagine! as the recipient. Leona, you are indeed a treasure for Imagine! and our community!

Here are some pictures from the awards ceremony.

Jim Carpenter, from the law firm Hutchinson, Black, and Cook, reads some highlights from Leona's nomination

Jim shakes hands with Leona

Leona thanks the crowd (and promotes Imagine!, of course!)

Leona and Jim pose with the award

Leona and Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Susan LaHoda

Meet The Residents Of The Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome

Below is a fantastic video introduction of the residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. Thanks to Site Supervisor Shannon Bundy for putting this video together, and to staff members Alex Johnstone and Joseph Tonelli for providing the original music!

 
Can’t see the video? Click here. 

Technology Tuesday

Chris’s Corner 

That’s Chris in the Corner. That’s Chris in the spotlight.
By Chris Baumgart

Manhattan Project Update Part IV 

Welcome back, everyone! Here are the latest updates for the Manhattan Project.

Imagine!'s Manhattan Group Home is now equipped with a fully interactive multi-user station in the kitchen, complete with a touch screen monitor. Using this kiosk, Manhattan residents can now use all the tools you’ve previously seen throughout the Manhattan Project, from cooking tasks and the interactive store, to educational activities such as The Pirates’ Cove, all using one machine. Check out the images below!

One of the most exciting things about this new introduction is the number of additional tools that can now be made available for the Manhattan Project.

On the horizon:

• An interactive ledger that will allow participants to practice more advanced currency skills. 
• RSS Feeds that keep people up to date on current weather conditions at home or anywhere in the U.S. 
• Access to social media such as the Imagine! Voices Blog, Facebook, and much more. 
• Tools for sending audio e-mails to friends and family. 
• Tools for submitting audio posts to the Imagine! Voices blog. 

And much more! Stay tuned for new updates!

Volunteers Mean So Much

Volunteers play a significant role in helping the residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder and the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont to enjoy a variety of activities. Pictured are most of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome residents engaged in a group activity with balloons, facilitated by a volunteer. Thanks to everyone who volunteers at both of Imagine!’s SmartHomes.

Would you or someone you know have an interest in being a volunteer at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder to assist one of the residents with improving their basic money skills?

Imagine!’s Innovations department is seeking a volunteer tutor to assist an adult individual at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder with basic money skills. Interested individuals should be available to commit to weekly sessions and successfully complete a background check.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in this volunteer position, please apply here.