Written by Shannon Taber As the Director of Inclusion and Accessibility at UCP of Eastern CT, I had the pleasure of working with Bin (pictured) and his wife, both of whom are wheelchairs users. They moved into an accessible home in the past year and with the support of staff from the Department of [...]
Written by Amy Norton, EASTCONN & Arlene Lugo, CTTAP Smart home technology devices make awesome holiday gifts, especially for individuals with disabilities or aging adults who might be looking for ways to enhance access to their home, improve their functioning, and make a real difference in increasing their independence! Here are some of the [...]
written by Pam Fields, ATECH The degree to which individuals are interconnected and embedded in a community has a powerful impact on their health and personal wellbeing. Social isolation is typically defined by a low frequency of social contact, and is often associated with lower quality of wellbeing. Recent research has been giving attention to whether [...]
Written by Pam Fields, ATECH With advancement in technology improving every day, assistive technology keeps getting better and better, providing more seamless integration into our lives. As direct-care givers, what’s the best, and easiest way we can use the new and emerging smart-home devices to assist in providing better care? Even if the current living [...]
By Jillian Day, 508assist.org Man using a tablet and smart pen while sitting on his bed. Assistive technology (AT) can make life easier for people in many ways. For example, seniors with limited mobility can benefit from voice-activated smart assistants to handle basic tasks like turning on lights and seeing who is at [...]
Written by Jillian Day, www.508assist.org Your home should be your haven, designed, built, or modified to accommodate you – not the other way around. If you have a disability or decline in functioning, you may realize what a challenge it can be to find one that is a 100% match, unless you start from scratch [...]
Written by Vicki Kowaleski My husband and I recently purchased a ‘new to us’ home. In addition to remodeling the home to incorporate ramps, a bathroom with a roll-in shower, a handheld shower head and wider doorways into the bathroom and closet with barn doors for easier entry, I decided to explore a number of [...]
By Joanne Lambert, M.S. CCC/SLP, EASTCONN There is so much technology available today to support users who have physical disabilities. For some, either being able to see the numbers on a thermostat or having the motor dexterity to manipulate the controls on a thermostat can be quite a challenge. As part of the Connect to [...]
Technology Can Help Ease Isolation During COVID-19 This fall, two Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability Services colleagues were joined by a Quinnipiac University professor to co-present highlights from “Stay Connected,” a statewide program that uses technology to help isolated individuals connect with family, friends and medical providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Connecticut’s “Stay Connected” [...]
The Stay Connected Program is funded by the Administration for Community Living, Federal CARES Act in response to COVID-19. This a new program is operated out of the Dept of Aging and Disability Services in collaboration by the State Unit on Aging and the CT Tech Act Project. Objective To connect adults aged 18 years [...]
