Gerald Reviewing His Numbers

We have a great video to share today.

The good folks at Twisted Pine Brewery in Boulder have demonstrated their commitment to providing supported employment to those with significant needs by carving out a special position for Gerald. For those of you who don’t know him, Gerald lives in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. Gerald has significant physical disabilities, including limited mobility and a limited ability to communicate vocally. Over the past few years, however, Gerald has used an assistive communication device called a DynaVox to improve his ability to communicate his needs and desires. He has also used the device to begin to learn how to read, write, and do arithmetic – at the age of 48!

Twisted Pine has been collaborating with Gerald, Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department, and the staff members at the SmartHome to create some tasks that Gerald can perform at Twisted Pine using his DynaVox, including assisting with inventory.

Think about that – someone who couldn’t count to ten a few short years ago is now doing inventory work for his employer!

This video shows Gerald practicing his numbers on his Dynavox so he can keep up with inventory.



And stay tuned! Tomorrow, we’ll show Gerald at work using his newfound skills!

Donna’s Diary - August 2011

Fringe Festivals, sock puppets, and stories oh my! Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna’s latest online diary entry (below) has them all – and more. Donna’s diary is always a great read and offers a nice perspective on how engaged she is in her community.

To see all of Donna’s diary entries, click here.

Last Saturday I was a nervous mess as I prepared to read a story at the Boulder Fringe Festival at Naropa University. There were about a dozen of us from CORE/Labor Source classes doing readings, dancing, and singing, and to be honest, when it came time for me to do my reading I had the crud scared out of me. I mustered up some enthusiasm and stuck with it and got through it OK. I stumbled through a couple words but other than that it went smooth.

As for the audience, it seemed like everybody and their brother was there. To say the least, the room was packed! There was not enough room for everyone to sit so there were people who had to stand to watch the performance.

I read a story I wrote about me and some friends having a party. It was a make believe story. I like those because you can put anything in it that you want. I had some stuffed animals in the story, and they could talk but I did the talking for them. Kind of like a sock puppet without the sock.

I actually do have some experience with sock puppets. When I was in the 4th grade, we did a sock puppet show at Loma Linda Elementary School in Longmont. We made the puppets in class and had them square dancing with each other during the show.

So, back to the Fringe Festival. When I was done with my reading I got to watch and listen to my housemate Mandy read her story. By then I was relaxed and got to enjoy listening to Mandy, and she did a great job.

In between readings, me and Gerald and about 10 other people sang and played music. All in all it was a fun day and I hope we get to go back next year.

Donna and Mandy Perform at the Fringe Festival

On Saturday, August 20, consumers in Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source classes, including SmartHome residents Donna and Mandy, performed at the Boulder Fringe Festival at Naropa University in front of a standing room only crowd. The performances included dance, music, theatre, and live readings of original material developed in CORE/Labor Source classes. Following the show, the performers were asked to make this an annual gig with the Fringe Festival. Nice work, everyone!

Donna possesses great public speaking skills and is pictured here reading at the Boulder Fringe Festival.

Mandy (on the right) is an excellent public speaker and writes her own stories for Imagine! newsletters.

SmartHomes In The News

Great story in today’s Longmont Times-Call about yesterday’s Longmont Area Economic Council’s Community Appreciation Luncheon. During the luncheon, CivilArts was honored for supporting the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, and the story linked below has great quotes from Deb Drexel, business manager for CivilArts, on why she supports our SmartHomes project. Thanks Deb!

Click here to see the story.

Congratulations CivilArts

Congratulations are in order for our good friends at CivilArts, recipients of a Community Appreciation Award from the Longmont Area Economic Council because of their contributions to Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. In the photo below, Frank and Deb Drexel, owners of CivilArts, show off their award.

Philadelphia Bound

A key element of our SmartHomes project – sharing ideas, learnings, and best practices with DD organizations across the country - continues to gain momentum.

Example: superstar SmartHome staffers Greg, Kevin, and Sterling are headed to Philadelphia, PA tomorrow to consult with NHS Services on that organization’s plans to integrate technology into their services.

Have fun, guys!

Sarah's New Wheelchair

Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont resident Sarah recently received a new wheelchair! The new wheelchair is much easier to maneuver than her old chair, and the open layout of the SmartHome has allowed her to use that maneuverability to full advantage. She’s even been playing a game of “soccer,” kicking around a large inflatable ball. Way to go, Sarah!