AT Funding Success Story

by Jorge Ruiz, Assistive Technology Coordinator at CCCIL in Salinas

As the Assistive Technology Coordinator at Central Coast Center for Independent Living, I have the unique opportunity to find AT solutions for people and make their independent living opportunities a little easier.  Sometimes it can be as simple as providing the person a

Juan Jose Morales

phone number to call or website to visit, but most often it involves advocacy with a vendor or a managed care provider.  The biggest challenge has been to find funding solutions and devices that neither the person nor I know exist. This was the last challenge that I had with my consumer, Juan Jose Morales.

Juan Jose lives with a diagnosis of C3 Quadriplegia meaning that he has total paralysis below his neck. He needs 24 hour around the clock care including one of the most basic human needs, access to drinking water. Whenever he needs to hydrate he needs someone to provide water to him. This is easy when he has the assistance of VNAs, but very difficult when he is out at the mall, at the movies, or exploring tourist attractions such as Cannery Row.

Camelbak water delivery system

After doing some internet research, I found many devices that met his needs. We decided to focus on one device that was sold from a vendor whom we had success in working with in the past. The device was a modified camelback with a sip and puff tubing. The device held enough water for a day trip and could be mounted to his power chair.  The only problem was that we needed to find the funds to pay for it.

The device is not terribly expensive, but for someone living on a fixed and limited income it would take months of saving to be able to afford it. We had to think outside of the box. We looked into crowd-sourced funding and decided to reach out to the millions of people around the world using the internet. Crowd-sourcing is the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people.

There are many different crowd-funding sources with different goals, missions and business models. As a nonprofit organization we decided to give modestneeds.org a try. Modest needs is a well-established site that has been around for awhile and has made a huge impact to thousands of Americans over the last twelve years.

We gathered the necessary personal documents from Juan Jose Morales, a quote from the vendor and wrote quick summary of why Jose needed the financial assistance. Within 72 hours the application was fully funded, thanks to the generosity of the donating visitors to the website. The funds were then sent to the vendor and Juan Jose received his camelbak hydration system directly from the vendor.

Juan Jose now has the ability to drink water independently wherever he is - something that he was not able to do in over 10 years! 

Do you have an AT funding success story?  Share it in the comment box below!

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

 

Keep The Wheels Rolling Repair Fund – Now Accepting Applications from Nonprofits in California!

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Keep the Wheels Rolling Repair Fund (KWRF), sponsored by Clearinghouse CDFI and Batteries Plus. Keep the Wheels Rolling Repair Fund is designed to provide small grants of up to $300 for the purchase of parts and/or repairs needed to refurbish a wheelchair or scooter so it may be reassigned to a low-income Californian with a disability for free.  

Application Information - for the complete guide to the application rules, go to http://www.atnet.org/kwrf/.  To apply, an organization must:

• Be an established nonprofit that accepts donations of used wheelchairs and scooters;

• Currently provide cleaned and/or sanitized and repaired/or refurbished wheelchairs and scooters to low-income Californians with disabilities;

• A member of the AT Network. (If you are not yet a member of the AT Network, join now for FREE: http://atnet.org/membership/join-atnet.php).

Uses for the funds from KWRF include, but are not limited to:

• Wheelchair batteries;

• Non-custom parts (custom seating and other parts specific to the individual will not be included);

• Missing or broken accessories essential to the device's use.

Funds may also be used to pay for the labor costs of specialized repairs that cannot be completed by program staff. The total repair cost of the wheelchair or scooter may not exceed 50% of the device's estimated value.

Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until the fund is exhausted. Only one application per month (30-day period) per program will be accepted. Applications will be reviewed by staff for completeness first, then for content. Each device repair request must be submitted in the Application for Funding online.

Important Note: The KWRF may not be used to pay for repairs to a device already owned by an individual with a disability. The fund is intended to support the reassignment of used and donated devices to new individuals who need them.

Our goal is to support as many reuse and refurbishment programs as possible. Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received funding. For complete application information and guidlines, go to http://www.atnet.org/kwrf/.

 

AT Funding Success Story

At the AT Network, we love to learn about the innovative ways that our partners assist  consumers in seeking funding options for AT devices and equipment. Jorge Ruiz, Assistive Technology Coordinator at Center Coast Center for Independent Living (CCCIL) in Salinas, sent us the following success story and we wanted to share it with our readers.  

Juan Jose came to CCCIL in 2012 seeking assistance in transitioning out of a skilled nursing facility where he had been a resident for close to three months.  He is a young man with a diagnosis of C3 Quadriplegia and relies on help from caregivers and technology in order to live as independently as possible.

Juan Jose

Watching television is an activity that Juan Jose enjoys, but each time he wanted to watch TV, he would have to find and ask someone to assist him.  When I became aware of the Voice IR, an assistive technology device that is able to operate anything with an infrared receiver, it was clear to me that my consumer would benefit greatly from this technology. 

However, due to the high price and limited resources that are available to him, he was not able to purchase the device on his own.  It was for this reason that we reached out to the Change a Life Foundation for funding and support.

We submitted an initial application in June 2012 however the application was not taken into consideration for that grant cycle. Fortunately, the applications remain on file and it was taken into consideration in April of 2013. We were thrilled to find out that it was accepted for funding in May of 2013.

VoiceIR Environmental Voice Controller Configurator

Receiving the Voice IR has become a life changing experience for Juan Jose.  For the first time in over 16 years he is able to power-on his television, change channels and adjust the volume on his own.  He is able to navigate “Netflix” and select what movies he wants to watch.  Many of us take this every day occurrence for granted, but for Juan, this device is a major benefit to his independence, as it has allowed him to make his own choices independently.

And, this is just the beginning. Juan will also be programming his other electronic equipment using the Voice IR, integrating the additional hardware that came with the device in order to manipulate the lights and other power devices like his fan and humidifier.  

We hope that Juan's story inspires people everywhere to never give up on those  important pieces of AT that  allow them to be more independent. For more funding ideas, here is a recent archived training by the AT Network entitled: Find It! Fund It! Technology and Gadgets to Increase Independence.  

For more trainings, visit our Calender page at: http://www.atnet.org/news-events/calendar.php

Do you have an AT funding success story to share?  Post it below in our comment box. 

Free / Low-cost Broadband Internet Service and Computer Training Classes for Californians

We are pleased to announce that the AT Network is partnering with Connect 2 Compete (C2C) to provide free and/or low-cost broadband (fast!) internet services and refurbished computers to low-income Californians that qualify.

It is easy to find out what is available in your area and to see if you qualify.  Just click here and enter your zip code. You will then be prompted to answer a few quick questions to learn what programs are offered in your area and how to apply.

Are you new to using a computer or the Internet? Click here to learn how to use a computer and find free training programs near you.

Unlike other programs that California has had in the past, not all that qualify need to have school-aged children living in their household. Furthermore, the internet service is broadband—meaning it is faster and more efficient.  C2C is currently negotiating offers with internet providers throughout the state, so if it is not yet available in your area, you should check back periodically for new offers of computer offers in your area.

C2C is a national non-profit that brings together community leaders, the private sector and leading foundations. Connect to Compete’s mission is to make high-speed internet and devices affordable to everyone, regardless of their age, race or education level.  

 

For more detailed information about this exciting new program, watch the AT Network’s training about this new program below.