Donate Your Used AT for Earth Day

Do you have any gently used AT sitting around in your closet or garage?

 

Donate it for Earth Day!

It is that time of year again... time for some good old-fashioned spring cleaning!  Why not use Earth Day as your impetus to get organized, clean out that garage, basement or closet, and reduce, reuse, and recycle while you are at it. Chances are you have something collecting dust that someone else could use to be independent.

In honor of Earth Day and to promote our reuse partners, the AT Network is excited to announce our first annual Earth Day Reuse Drive with participating organizations throughout California .

 

Did you know that there are many organizations throughout California that accept gently-used donations of medical equipment and other AT devices?  Thanks to a generous donation from Molina Healthcare, the AT Network is kicking off its first annual Earth Day Reuse Drive to promote these amazing organizations' efforts. Not only are they keeping AT equipment from laying useless in landfills, but they are also getting it into the hands of people that really need it!  People like Araceli in Bakersfield. 

Araceli, a mother of two, uses a wheelchair because she has Cerebral Palsy.  She calls her wheelchair her "legs with wings" because it allows her to live independently and do all of the many things a mother of two needs to do. When she was in a car accident and her power chair was destroyed, Araceli's life stopped. She was distraught because she couldn't afford a new one or a rental and was told she would have to wait months for her insurance to cover it. Thanks to the Independent Living Center of Kern County and the AT Network's Keep the Wheels Rolling Repair Fund, Araceli was able to use a refurbished power wheelchair in the meantime. Araceli was greatful to have her "legs with wings" - and life - back.

You can further this great cause by donating any gently used items that might be useful to individuals with disabilities. Please contact each program directly to find out what equipment they accept and please let others know about these programs.  

Click here for a listing of other Reuse Organizations in California. 

Earth Day Sponsored by Molina Healthcare

 

The WHILL - A New Mobility Device

Have you seen this new wheelchair design yet?

 

WHILL, Inc.

The AT Network recently had WHILL, Inc. come give a demo and presentation about the development of this new wheelchair design – actually not even called a wheelchair, but rather, a mobility device.  Everyone at the meeting agreed that the WHILL was very cool!

The WHILL was developed by engineers in Japan on a personal mission to not only improve the functionality of the wheelchair, but to improve the style as well. 

Wheelchairs have been around for centuries, yet look at these pictures comparing the advancements in phone technology versus the advancements in wheelchairs during the last century.

Shocking, no?

The main features distinguishing the WHILL from other mobility devices - other than the unique and modern design - are its unique wheel structure (the front wheels are actually made up of many smaller wheels), side arm rests that lower to allow for easier transfers and for sitting at a desk/table, its “mouse-like” steering system, its smaller and narrower size, and a smaller, sharper turning radius for users. 

The WHILL only weighs about 200 lbs, while typical power wheelchairs designed for the same sized person are closer to 400 lbs. Its unique wheels allow the WHILL to traverse easily through rough terrains such as snow, gravel, dirt, and woodchips. It can even go over curbs that are up to three inches tall! Furthermore, it is rain-proof and, with a full battery, it can travel up to 15 miles depending on the terrain.  

Shannon, who is a power and manual wheelchair user, had a chance to test drive the WHILL.   

Shannon talking to CEO of WHILL Satoshi Sugie

 "First of all," she said, "I like it because it is very stylish. It feels different that driving my own power wheelchair. It doesn't feel quite as stable as the one I currently use, but I like that it drove very well over rough terrains. I also like that it is very simple and sleek in its design.  It is not bulky and you actually don’t even feel like you are riding in a wheelchair. It made me feel like I was riding on some sort of a futuristic Segway and it reminded me of the movie, WALL - E.” 

The WHILL Type A is the third prototype design by the company. For the first two designs they recruited many wheelchair users to test their design out and explain what worked and what didn’t work for them.  Currently, they are taking their first limited orders. The current cost is around $9,500 - depending on the features you order for it- but they plan on the cost lowering once the WHILL is mass-manufactured to make it more affordable to all. I hope Medicare/Medical will cover it!

What do you think of the WHILL?  What do you think of using the term "mobility device" instead of wheelchair?  Write your answers in the comment box below!

AT We LOVE - Happy Valentine's Day!

For Valentine's Day, we asked our colleagues and partners throughout California to share the different types of Assistive Technology (AT) that they adore. 

We then compiled this list of practical, fun, time-saving and even life-saving AT to inspire our readers to try out some new AT that can improve their lives. Many of these items are available for loan or for free to Californians through our Device Lending Libraries and the AT Exchange. Enjoy!

Joe Escalante, San Jose: 

The AT that I love is my voice dictation on my iPhone.  It allows me to speak just about each and every word I mean to use.  This saves me so much time from having to type every letter out on a regular keyboard. And it accepts some of the same commands that are used with Dragon on the computer.

Karen Marshall, Hayward:

The AT Device I love is the Williams Sound Ultra Pocketalker. Over the years I have seen

Williams Sounds Pocketalker

it make dramatic changes to people’s lives. It has saved marriages and improved family relationships. The tone adjusting feature enables many people to hear when hearing aids did not work. It has brought people out of isolation. One time I introduced the pocketalker to a gentleman and he could hear his wife and daughter talking about how well the pocketalker was working for him. He suddenly broke out laughing. His wife and daughter were shocked, as that was the first time he had laughed in more than 6 months! This why I love the pocketalker.

Blair Webb, Manhattan Beach:

I love my Intellikeys keyboard, which is an alternative keyboard with larger buttons. This board helps me do work for college, communicate with friends via Facebook, and access the internet like anyone else my own age. I also know that this board will be quite useful when it's my time to search for jobs. 

Rosemarie Punzalan, Los Angeles:

The AT that I love is my Pebble E-Paper watch that is connected to my Android phone via Bluetooth. I love wearing my Pebble wrist watch because it alerts me with a silent vibration for a variety of information such as alarms, emails, phone calls, text messages, and timers. The silent vibration notifications are helpful for someone with a hearing loss (Deaf or Hard of Hearing) like myself. Below are a few introduction videos of the Pebble E-Paper watch:  

DeafTechNews http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIkqpvxoBxY (YouTube - ASL only)

Pebble Technology http://vimeo.com/65879356 (VIMEO - No captions available)

Pebble Smartwatch 2013 video from Pebble Technology on Vimeo.

Rosie McDonnell, Oceanside:
I love my Colours wheelchair! It helps me be independent and get from point A to point B. It's also a great accessory to my wardrobe (purple, lights in my front wheels and a zebra printed back). My chair also supports me and encompasses my identity as a person with a disability.

Jeff Samco, Grass Valley:

The AT I love is my Plextalk Pocket audio player. It typically has hundreds of hours of podcasts and reference materials I can listen to anytime and anywhere.

Priyanka Nookala, Davis:
One of the AT devices I love to use is my Livescribe smartpen. The pen  makes note taking so much easier because I can keep up and listen rather than thinking about copying things down.

Livescribe Smartpen

Amy Liu, Berkeley: 

An app on my iPhone I use all the time is called Smart Ride.  It tells me when the next bus or train is coming and where the nearby bus or train stops are as well.  Having the app allows me to plan my day based on knowing if I have missed my bus already and to  take an alternative route instead. Not being able to see the prediction at the bus stops like everyone else can be frustrating but this app allows me to gain the independence and take control of my time like everyone else.

Kevin Hansen, Sacramento:

My favorite AT device is my CPAP machine. I use it every night to keep myself alive. The two reasons I love this machine is that it keeps me alive and when I wake in the morning I feel rested and do not feel exhausted.

Justin, Grass Valley:

Justin on the beach in Colonia, Uruguay

I love my white cane. It does not matter how good my vision is, whether I am traveling at night or in the day, in the fog or in the clear, walking to work or walking along the beach in Uruguay, my cane allows me to be independent every day, and to live life to the fullest.

Nicona, Santa Cruz: 
The one and only iPhone; more specifically Siri! I really commend Apple for creating a device as multifunctional and accessible as the iPhone.

 

Ricardo Mansur, Garden Grove: 
I believe the AT device I am most passionate about and eager to see expand in service is one that most don’t often think of as an Assistive Device…Smartphones.  Smartphones offer tremendous flexibility in user interface, ease of access, communication, information, and augmentation. To be perfectly candid, I find myself rather at a loss as to why there hasn’t been greater expansion of smartphone utility. Should the technology become possible, I don’t see why a singular device could not act in lieu of OCR, AAC, and with recent advancements in touch screen technology, even Braille Displays may become a thing of the past.

Shannon Coe, Davis:

The AT I love is my modified vehicle.  It enables me to go to places quicker and put my daughter in the van safely.  I do not have to take my manual wheelchair apart and lift it over to the passenger side, which is tiring to do, especially when it is windy or rainy. I can also take my power wheelchair in the van so when I arrive at places, I have more energy to focus on more important things. 

Rachel Stewart, Sacramento: 
My grabber - handy dandy for picking stuff off the floor. 

Valerie Booth, Fremont:
The AT service I adore is captioning when I need to watch TV. Captioning gives me the ability to listen to what's being said and then viewing the context of what was being said, allowing me to process information better. This helps me greatly since I have trouble hearing, and it is a relief to be able to see text while someone is speaking so that I can understand what's happening better.

Logitech Trackball Mouse

Jose Guerrero, Sacramento: 
I love the Logitech trackball mouse. This mouse limits the motion of my arm and wrists to where it allows me to be more productive with less discomfort. It has also allowed me to continue pursuing a post military career in the graphic and web design industry.

Kim Cantrell, Sacramento: 
The Pocketalker is one of my favorite pieces of AT because it was the only way I could communicate with my Grandfather. He wore the over-the-ear headphones and we were able to increase the sound volume and adjust the tone so he could hear us when we spoke into the microphone. It made all the difference.

Reyes Sandoval, Fresno:

The AT that I love is my glasses (now with bifocals) because they allow me to see the world and to read more clearly.

 

What assistive technology do you love? Share with us in the comment box below the AT that means a lot to you and why.  And have a happy Valentine's Day!