Congratulations, David!

David Braddock speaks after being
awarded the first ever
ANCOR Foundation President's Award

Congratulations are in order for David L. Braddock, a longtime supporter of Imagine!'s SmartHomes, for being honored as the recipient of the first ever ANCOR Foundation President's Award. The award recognizes a person whose contributions to the field of disabilities have uniquely led to leading practice and profound innovation. Presentation of the award was made at the 2013 ANCOR Conference: Because We All Matter on April 28, 2013 in Washington, DC.

David Braddock, Ph.D. is the Coleman-Turner Chair and Professor at Colorado University and the Executive Director of the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, with which ANCOR has been a partner for the past four years. He is the author of the important State of the States in Developmental Disabilities monograph series.

"Without David Braddock, our industry would not be where it is today," said Bill Tapp, president of the ANCOR Foundation. "It is very fitting that he receive this honor for his visionary leadership and tireless work toward ensuring the best policies and supports for people with disabilities."

Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

The latest Imagine! SmartHomes newsletter is online.

Check it out here.

Gerald’s Yellow Submarine Lunchbox

This blog post came to us via an audio email last Saturday from Gerald, who is a resident at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. This was a verbal interview, with one of the counselors interviewing Gerald, rather than Gerald using his Dynavox to communicate. In answering most of the questions, Gerald used one or two word responses, but we have transcribed the post as if Gerald is doing all the speaking since he was active in the conversation.

“Hello. This is Gerald. I had a pretty good day. I went out to the bookstore with my wife, and Mandy. I bought a lunchbox, a yellow submarine lunchbox, a Beatles lunchbox. Bye.”

Check out Gerald, Donna, and the lunchbox in the pictures below.

A Good, But Tiring, Day For Chris

This blog post was sent to us by Christopher via an audio email. Christopher is a resident at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. Considering what he said, we’re honored that he took the time to send this.

“Hi this is Christopher, I’m ‘calling’ to tell you that my day was good, and I loved it but I’m tired and I’m exhausted so good-bye.”

SmartHomes Update

During the five years since the first Imagine! SmartHome opened, we have:

• Hosted 151 tours and open houses at our SmartHomes, involving more than 1,000 people from all over the United States and countries including Japan, the Netherlands, England, France, Belgium, and Russia.
• Given 46 presentations at conferences across the country.
• Implemented technologies to foster caregiver efficiency.
• Decreased Imagine!’s carbon footprint. (The SmartHomes’ solar photo-voltaic systems have reduced CO2 emissions by approximately 50 tons to date!)
• Enhanced the lives of the individuals living in the SmartHomes who are, because of technology, now able to communicate online with family and friends, hold jobs, blog, and cook a meal, do a load of laundry, or get ready for their day independently!

Plenty to be proud of, but we’re just getting started!

Rebecca's Mask

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Rebecca recently participated in an art project, decorating masks that will be shown in May at Longmont’s Muse Art Gallery. We’ll give you more details as the show gets closer, but in the meantime, here’s Rebecca showing off her mask.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Scheduled to tour the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont today: Jaime Bordeaux from I-Reach 2, Inc., a Wyoming-based organization with a mission to “provide high quality, innovative, individualized, therapeutic services to adults with developmental disabilities and brain injuries.”

Lana's Mask

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Lana recently participated in an art project, decorating masks that will be shown in May at Longmont’s Muse Art Gallery. We’ll give you more details as the show gets closer, but in the meantime, here’s Lana showing off her mask.

Photos Of Rebecca In Yoga Class

This is the fourth and final post (for now) about the yoga class that volunteers from Angel Organic provide for the residents at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. The photos are of Rebecca in last week's class.

Rebecca stretches out her fingers as if playing the piano.

Rebecca demonstrates her flexibility.

John and Rebecca stretching

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Scheduled to tour the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont this Friday: Chuck Crowe, Executive Director of the Front Range Community College Foundation, as well as another group of AmeriCorps volunteers.

Donna During Yoga: “I’m A Twisted Pretzel”

Here are a few more photos from last week’s yoga class hosted by Angel Organic at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. When doing an exercise pretending that she was in the jungle, Donna said “Being in the jungle makes you feel alive.” During another stretch, Donna said gleefully, “I’m a twisted pretzel.” It was clear she was enjoying herself.

Donna stretches by herself before the class began.

Angel Organic volunteer Michael gently helps Donna stretch

Donna said, “I’m a twisted pretzel,” as Michael helps her with this stretch.

 

Angel Organic volunteer Laura slowly and gently helps Donna stretch her arms high into the air.

Mandy Appreciates The Angel Organic Yoga Volunteers

This blog post was provided in a face to face conversation with Mandy at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome Thursday night. Mandy was participating in a yoga class that is offered to the residents of the home by volunteers with Angel Organic. Mandy whispered this comment to a friend at the end of the yoga class, referring to the yoga volunteers, Michael and Laura.

They are very generous people to volunteer their time, and they are sweet people so we like to have them around.
 

Michael assists Mandy with an arm stretch.

Laura has Mandy reaching out her hands to grab Laura's hand.

Mandy is enjoying this stretch, with Laura's assistance.

Laura gently helps Mandy with this leg stretch.

John Says "That Was Incredible" (Yoga Class)

This blog post was provided in a face to face conversation with John at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome last night. John was preparing himself physically and mentally for a yoga class that is offered to the residents at the home by volunteers who are with Angel Organic. Here is how he described the yoga class.

“We stretch and shut our eyes and think about what’s going on right now, not what’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day.” After the class, John stood up and proclaimed, “That was incredible.”

Below are some photos of John at last night’s class.

Before the class began, John streched by himself to warm up.

John clears his mind.

John is about to assume the same position as Rebecca.

John and Rebecca drift off to imagine the pleasant sounds,
sights, and smells of the jungle.

Singing and Relaxing

Here’s a nice photo of Charles Family SmartHome resident Loren chilling out on a recliner and singing.

Celebrate National Siblings Day

Today is National Siblings Day, so we’d like to take this opportunity to give a great big shout out to all the siblings of the individuals served by Imagine!, including those living in our SmartHomes. Siblings play a vital role in the lives of their brothers and sisters with disabilities, and many of the folks we serve are blessed with incredibly supportive siblings. In fact, several members of the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors serve on the board because of their experiences growing up with a sibling with an intellectual disability.

If you are interested in learning more, check out The Sibling Leadership Network (SLN), a national nonprofit dedicated to providing siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote issues important to them and their entire families.

Gerald Experiments With Color Mixing For His Artwork

This photo was submitted by Erika Alvis, a Program Coordinator for Imagine!'s CORE/Labor Source program.

In the photo, Gerald is experimenting with color mixing in preparation to paint his canvas for a June 28 art show at the Dairy Center for the Arts in Boulder.

Presenting To The Community Life Project

Last night, members of Imagine!’s SmartSupports team met with representatives of The Community Life Project. The Community Life Project, a local parent-organized group, has been meeting for a year to research and plan a nonprofit housing cooperative for adults with autism, including those who aren't eligible for developmental disability services or who are on a waiting list, and those who receive services but need more support. The two groups met to discuss how technology could be used in the projected housing. Check out the PowerPoint below outlining what they discussed.

Community Life Project Presentation from Fred Hobbs

Support The SmartHomes

OK, we don’t usually use this space to ask for money, but we are still trying to pay off of our SmartHomes. Please consider supporting this important project.

You can donate by clicking here, and in the “Special instructions or comments for nonprofit,” specify: SmartHomes.

Thank you.



Goal for two SmartHomes: $2,959,493

Total raised to date: $2,314,569 = 78%

Lana At "Shine"

This post was sent Saturday, March 2nd via an audio email from Lana, who is a resident of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. All the residents at the SmartHome have access to an audio email system that allows them to send audio emails. When someone replies to the audio email with a typed email, the resident's computer reads the written response aloud so the residents do not need to be able to read or write to be able to communicate with their friends and families.

“Hi, This is Lana, I went to a dance last night (Shine Prom at Flatirons Church in Lafayette). We had a good time. I had a glass of water, and I didn’t eat any sweets. I hung out with Brent (a counselor at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome).”

Donna Loves The Mountain Air

This post was sent to us via an audio email by Donna. Donna is a resident at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder where all the residents have access to an audio email program that allows them to stay in touch with their friends and families.

“Hey guys, we just went on a mountain trip for the day and we were gone for a while and away from home. We drove up through Nederland, and we enjoyed the mountain air, and seeing a lot of mountain forestry. We drove all the way back on the same road we went up on, and it brought us back home. It was nice to get out of the house for the day. Bye for now.”

SmartHome Residents Shine

A few weeks ago, residents of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome attended “Shine,” a Prom hosted by Flatirons Community Church. From the looks of things, they had a great time!

Happy Birthday, Shelly!

Wishing the happiest of birthdays to Charles Family SmartHome resident Shelly. Make it a great one, Shelly!