Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department hosts a weekly “Friday Communication Class.” Recently the class held a unit on money management. Here, Wendy, Autumn, and Peter are using iPads in combination with plastic money to sort, add, and distinguish currency!

Technology Tuesday

Last month, Imagine!’s Greg Wellems attended the invite-only White House Disability & Inclusive Technology Summit. Greg was one of the only service provider representatives to be included in the event. Also attending was Cathy Bodine, Executive Director of Assistive Technology Partners and a member of Imagine! Board of Directors. This is another exciting example of Imagine! being at the epicenter of the exploration of how technology can improve the lives of individuals with a variety of disabilities.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Touring Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome today: representatives from Autism Housing Network, a project of the Madison House Autism Foundation.

Technology Tuesday

Here’s a great example of how technology can increase an individual’s independence, even if the person has significant disabilities. In the two videos below, Gerald, who lives in Imagine!’s Santa Fe Group Home, can be seen controlling a can opener and a coffee grinder using nothing more than simple hand switch and a PowerLink module.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Technology Tuesday

A group of University of Colorado students in Professor Melinda Piket-May's Fall 2016 Engineering class worked on adaptive equipment projects for individuals served by Imagine!. We have worked with Professor Piket-May on projects like this for more than seven years, and are always delighted by the results.

This year’s class demonstrated their projects this past Saturday, and below are some photos and descriptions of some of them.

Two student groups created Wheelchair Umbrella Attachments. These were designed to be attached to wheelchairs and easily opened and closed, protecting individuals who use wheelchairs for mobility from inclement weather, therefore increasing their independence. Learn about how one such umbrella attachment has worked for an individual served by Imagine!.

Another student group created a Can Hole Punch. This one take a little explanation. Our good friends at Oskar Blues Brewery provide employment for individuals served by Imagine! who make Oskar Blues “Can Bling” – necklaces with a beer can with the top removed for use at events such as beer festivals. This can hole punch ensures that the cans don’t have sharp edges to protect the folks creating the bling, and can assist those with poor motor skills in threading the beads in to the can.

Another student group created a “Laser Harp,” which uses lasers that can be “plucked” to make musical notes. The laser beams can be calibrated for people with different range of motions, so even those with limited range of motion can create their own music. It is a great tool for range of motion exercises and for making music more accessible. In the darker picture below, the lasers are seen through the green smoke.

Below you will see the student group project “The Runner,” which is a walker designed to remain stable during more intense exercise. This is great for physical therapy and to allow people who use walkers for mobility to increase their options and make greater strides toward not needing the walker at all.

One student group worked on a project they called the “Helping Hand.” This was designed specifically for individuals who struggle with tremors, making the use of finger controlled smart devices such as iPads challenging. The Helping Hand was created to stabilize the person’s hand, making it easier to use the device independently despite the tremors.

And finally, the group pictured below created a Foldable Communication Device Arm. This was designed to be attached to a wheelchair and to hold heavy communication device. It is easily foldable so it can be put out of the way when not in use.

As always, we thank all of the students for their time, their efforts, and for their role in creating a world of opportunity for all abilities. And of course, we thank CU Professor Piket-May for this ongoing and very beneficial collaboration.

Support Imagine! On Colorado Gives Day

Today is Colorado Gives Day, and you are encouraged to make your online donation now to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

By giving your donation online through Colorado Gives Day, Imagine! will be eligible for a portion of the 1stBank and Community First Foundation incentive fund. Best of all, you’ll be supporting Imagine!, and our SmartHomes, in creating a world of opportunities for all abilities.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Click here to donate.

  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Technology Tuesday

Shelly, who lives in Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome and participates in Imagine!'s CORE/Labor Source program, is pictured here using an app called “Kahoot” and an adaptive switch with an iPad to play an interactive quiz with her peers. The iPad auto detects the choice options and then Shelly is able to choose which ones she thinks is the right answer!

Technology Tuesday

For today’s Technology Tuesday, we have a guest blogger! Jessica Gaylord works for Imagine!'s CORE/Labor Source department and is a member of Imagine!’s 2016/2017 Leadership Development Group (LDG). On behalf of her fellow LDG members, she wrote the following account about their experiences attending the 16th Annual Coleman Institute Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology and the ANCOR Technology Summit and Showcase in early October. Thanks for sharing, Jessica! 

Imagine!’s 2016/2017 Leadership Development Group (LDG) is officially underway! As a group, we launched our experience by attending the 16th Annual Coleman Institute Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology, and the ANCOR Technology Summit and Showcase in early October. These conferences host attendees from all over the US, and even outside of the US, but conveniently takes place at the Omni Hotel in Broomfield. Both conferences promoted the use of technology within our field. There was a lot of information to soak up, but between the two technology-filled days there are a handful of highlights we each took away from the seminars.

One of the speakers at the Coleman Conference was Richard Ellenson, CEO of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and the father of a son living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Ellenson and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation have created the “Just Say Hi!” campaign. This campaign focuses upon common misunderstandings associated with community interactions for people with disabilities and educates folks to “Just Say Hi!” when encountering someone with a disability. In fact, if you ask Siri how to talk to someone with a disability, she’ll tell you just how easy it is.

Most of the Coleman Conference focused on adaptive technology that people with disabilities use and what the future of technology might look like in the coming years. As many of you know, some of the challenges we face with technology implementation in our field are limited funding, limits in our knowledge of what’s available, and more often than we may want to admit, our limited vision to experiment and learn. One speaker pointed out that, “if you automatically think the person you care for is not capable of something, you will not look for ways to make them capable.”

It was very exciting for all of us to see that many of the technological advances that were being promoted at these conferences were technology tools Imagine! has been working with for many years. The conferences were excellent example of Imagine!’s leadership associated with technology that can be so easily experienced in our SmartHomes and other services. Here are some key takeaways that we’d like to share:

1. Technology has to be connected to natural supports. 
2. Collaboration is key – technology should evolve with input from all team members who will help support the person and their technology. 
3. Don’t design the technology first and then work to find someone to fit the function of the technology. Work towards fitting the technology to the person and their support needs. 
4. Technology can be a valuable tool for independence. Therefore, the use of technology should always be assistive so that it is used to help someone achieve greater independence to achieve his/her goals. 

One presenter living with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD), who hosts her own podcast "Tuesdays with Liz," said that, “although I was allowed to think about what I wanted to be when I was 15 years old, just like everybody else, I was the only one that wasn’t allowed to pursue their dream. People told me that I couldn’t be a doctor or a politician because I wouldn’t be capable.” It is so important, as Imagine! team members, that we continuously consider how we can advocate for the immediate and future needs of the individuals and families we support to promote access to information and technologies that promote leisure, social, vocational, and educational opportunities.

The world of technology is exciting, constantly evolving, and vast in its capabilities. The impact this can have on all people has been and will continue to be life changing. It doesn’t require an employee with Apple or Microsoft to make an impact. Technology derives from collaboration, innovation, and cultural influences that spark from a simple idea or dream. And everyone dreams!

Finally, we invite you to take a minute by clicking here to learn more about the Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access. You can read the document and add your name as a supporter of the Declaration.

Technology Tuesday

Thanks to the team at Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome for providing this week’s Tech Tuesday: an update on the progress of a couple of residents at the home.

We are pleased to announce that Anthony and Shelly are fully set up with their own iPads, accounts, and tools needed for digital accessibility. 

This will enable each of them to: 

• Manage/view their calendars; appointments, work schedules, holidays, and special outings from anywhere 
• Create customized reminders & lists with minimal staff supports 
• Text message/video message (iPad reads sent text messages to them) 
• Receive Email (iPad reads emails to them) 
• Video chat (via facetime) 
• Enjoy their preprogramed favorite music/skill building apps from anywhere 
• Manage photos & videos, and social media 
• Control synced environmental controls 

This continues to be a work in progress, but Shelly has had very promising results using a Bluetooth switch for IPad navigation. She is pictured above familiarizing herself with the switch interface. 

Anthony has chosen to take an active role in setting his own doctor’s appointments going forward, using his calendar and reminders, as well as communication with family. 

We’ll keep you posted moving forward!

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s own Brodie Schultz, who works for our CORE/Labor Source (CLS) department, has built a life-sized Halloween-themed “Operation” game (pictured above). Brodie constructed this game with the help of a tool we’ve discussed in the past: Makey-Makey, along with SoundPlant.

Obviously the game is cool, but it goes beyond that. A life-sized game such as this makes it accessible for people who may lack fine motor skills or who use wheelchairs (which can make accessing the traditional sized game boards difficult). The game was a huge hit at last week’s CLS Halloween party. In the video below, Brodie’s supervisor Tim West-Heiss, demonstrates the game.

Way to go, Brodie!
  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Touring the Charles Family SmartHome today: representatives from our good friends and supporters at Wiland.

Technology Tuesday

We have very exciting news to share for today’s Tech Tuesday.

Imagine!’s Director of Business Operations and tech guru Greg Wellems has been invited to participate in the White House Disability and Inclusive Technology Summit. This summit will bring together disability advocates, technology industry representatives, and Federal officials to examine approaches to ensure that the Internet of Things is accessible and that inclusive design is central to tech development. The Summit will take place next Monday, November 7.

This invitation is a reflection of both Greg’s and Imagine!’s longtime leadership in the arena of using technology to better serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and we couldn’t be more proud.

Guess Who’s Touring The SmartHomes?

Touring Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont yesterday: members of the Rotary Club of Longmont as part of their "non-profit day out."

Technology Tuesday

Here’s an quick story of someone who accepts services from Imagine! who is using social media to promote his original artwork.

Ron is an artist whose passion for nature scenes comes to life through his truly impressive talent. With the help of Imagine! CORE/Labor Source Communications Instructor Sarah Fenton, Ron started a Facebook page, Stroke of Nature, to get his art out there and into the public eye.

From the artist: "Here is a link to my website. I have been updating it weekly with two pieces. I am hoping to make a sale or more, and increase the number of people looking at my site."

Thank You, Rusk Family

Today we’d like to share a short video highlighting the Rusk family, who volunteer together each week at Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. Thank you Isabelle, Serena, Kristin, and Jason for all you do for Imagine!.
  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Technology Tuesday

This week's Tech Tuesday takes us to Imagine!’s Santa Fe Group Home in Broomfield, where Donna has joined a group of individuals working on medication self-reliance by using a computer-based medication tracking system designed by Imagine! staff members. Here she is, filling her medication reminder box for the first time. Keep up the great work, Donna!

To learn more about the medication tracking system Donna is using, check out the short video below about Donna’s friend Lana.

  Can’t see the video? Click here.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Touring the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont today: local restaurateur Vivian Chen and representatives from our good friends and supporters at BCinteriors.

Technology Tuesday

Last Friday, ANCOR hosted its 2016 Technology Summit and Showcase and once again, Imagine! representatives were at the forefront.

The day began with a panel discussion entitled “What's Your 'Why' for Using Technology?” Panelists included Gerald Bernard, Executive Director, Charles Lea Center, Allen Ray, President/CEO, SimplyHome, and Imagine!’s own Director of Business Operations, Greg Wellems. The panelists discussed how enabling technology should be less about a person’s needs and more about their abilities, capabilities, and potential for success through natural supports, as well as how each of their companies are taking a uniquely different approach in creating outcomes by first redefining their corporate missions.

Later in the day, attendees had the opportunity to learn how to “Reduce Liability and Costs with an Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR),” presented by Geoff Cooper, President, CaraSolva, and Imagine! Charles Family SmartHome Site Supervisor Chris DiRosa. The pair discussed how providers are reducing liability, costs, and improving individual health outcomes via point of care systems including electronic Medication Administration Records (eMAR).

Imagine!’s representation at the ANCOR Tech Summit is another example of how we continue to lead the way in exploring the many ways technology can be used to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Thanks Greg and Chris for being our Imagine! Tech Evangelists!

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Touring the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont yesterday: representatives from Ohio-based Franklin County Residential Services. Thanks for visiting and experiencing first-hand how technology is changing the lives or people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday provides an update on Imagine!’s Tuneberg Remote Supports Project.

Thanks to the generosity of Aaron's Fund, Imagine! has created a technology demonstration project to improve and support the safety needs for adults with disabilities. The project is currently supporting five individuals throughout Boulder County. The Tuneberg Project has developed specific tool to assess individual support needs and identify the technologies that will best help meet those needs. The technology that has been purchased is individualized to the identified needs and includes door and window sensors, heat and stove detectors, medication reminders, visual doorbells, prompting systems for daily tasks, which are all integrated into a notification system that provides alerts to caregivers or 911.

This technology allows people to be monitored remotely and notifies loved ones or caregivers when people are home and what area of the apartment or living space they are accessing. All systems allow the individuals to remain independent while still promoting their safety by remotely locking doors, monitoring when someone comes to their doors and providing alerts when a door or window is opened at an unusual time.

In one case the system was able to alert us that one of the individuals was wandering in the middle of the night and it notified a nearby caregiver to help assist and address the support needs.

Example system, image provided by SimplyHome, which is behind many of the remote supports technology used in Imagine!’s Tuneberg Remote Supports Project

The Tuneberg Project is helping to fill a huge gap that currently exists in services for adults with intellectual disabilities who are mostly independent but need some assistance to remain safe and self-reliant. As part of this project Imagine! will be sharing the results of this three year project with state and local leaders to encourage the adoption of technology into the service system.

To see previous updates on Imagine!’s Tuneberg Remote Supports Project, click on a link below.

August 16, 2016 

March 1, 2016

Technology Tuesday

Check out Shelly, who is using a smart projector and an adaptive paintbrush to paint her latest masterpiece while participating in an Imagine! CORE/Labor Source art class.

Technology Tuesday

Today’s “Technology Tuesday” is both an offering of gratitude and a celebration.

At last week’s meeting of the Imagine! Foundation’s Board of Directors, the assembled Board celebrated the fact that the mortgage for Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome had been paid in full!

 

Imagine! began planning for this home in the early 2000s. The strategy was to create a home that demonstrated how a variety of technologies could be used to increase self-reliance among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and to act as a living laboratory for testing and refining new technologies and to promote the use of those technologies for service for people with I/DD across Imagine!, our state, our nation, and even internationally.

This was the first such home in the nation, and the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors committed itself to ensuring that the home was paid for entirely through donations and grants. An ambitious fundraising campaign was launched in 2005, and now, a little more than a decade later, that promise from the Board to fully support the project has come to fruition, and the home is completely paid off.

The promise of the SmartHome is being realized as well. Early studies demonstrated that the use of technology at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resulted in a large increase in residents’ perception of their control over their own lives and positive increases among residents including: feeling safer in their new home, feeling respected by others around them, number of personal relationships, and access to resources the residents felt they needed. 

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Though the home was proven to be a successful first step in bringing technology to the forefront of services for people with I/DD, it was only the first step in Imagine!'s strategy. In addition to building a second SmartHome in Longmont, the Charles Family SmartHome, Imagine! has also continually moved forward with the second phase of the project – acting as “tech evangelists” for our field. Thousands of individuals have toured both of Imagine!’s SmartHomes to see first-hand how technology is changing the lives of people with a variety of disabilities. Imagine! staff members have presented on the SmartHomes and technology use across the country. We are constantly embracing new opportunities to demonstrate technology use and the possibilities it has for creating a world of opportunity for all abilities.

None of this would have been possible without the generous support and commitment of the many individual donors, corporate donors, grant organizations, and government entities that provided the funding for the creation of our first SmartHome.

We thank you all for your demonstrated belief in the potential of all. 

Technology Tuesday

Phil, who accepts services from Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department, is learning how to create his own original computer games using an application called Hopscotch.

Taking Part In Broncos 7K

Last weekend, Donna and Gerald, who live in Imagine!'s Santa Fe Group Home, and Stacey and Toby, who live in Imagine!'s Charles Family SmartHome, participated in the annual Broncos 7K event. They all had a great time, and Donna and Gerald even got to meet Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller during the Expo before the race. They must have brought the team good luck, which manifested itself during last night’s thrilling victory in the Broncos’ season opener.