Posts by Kathryn Wyeth
Frida Kahlo used Assistive Technology!
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff Renown Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has been one of my favorite artists since I was a young girl. A few years ago, I was excited to learn that Kahlo also had disabilities and she shared about them in her art and writing; in this way, she has inspired…
Read MoreRepresentation in Fashion
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff In my last two blog posts, Access Moves Fashion Forward! and Taking Steps Towards Access in Footwear!, I wrote about how the things that we wear are being designed with access in mind for more and more people. In this post, I share about how clothing, footwear, and…
Read MoreTaking Steps Towards Access in Footwear!
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff While some designers are focusing on creating more accessible clothing, other companies are zeroing on footwear! For people who have limited mobility & dexterity and decreased stamina & balance, putting on traditional, lace up shoes can be difficult. Velcro laces have been popular and useful to many, but…
Read MoreAccess Moves Fashion Forward!
In her 2017 TedTalk, ‘Why Design Should Include Everyone’, Sinéad Burke (writer, educator, and little person) asks, “who are we not designing for? Design impinges on the clothes that I want to wear. I want garments that reflect my personality. It’s difficult to find in the children’s wear department. And often women’s wear requires far…
Read MoreThe Last Straw
By MATP Staff Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS “Though plastic straws are a luxury for some, they are a necessity for others. Straws function as an accessibility tool and have historically been used to offer independence for people with disabilities.” –Mashable, 2018. During a trip to Washington D.C. last year, my first meal in the city…
Read MoreMy Wish for 2019: Protected Net Neutrality
By MATP Staff Jen Mullins During a recent trip to Washington D.C., organizers from Community Catalyst arranged for me to meet with staff from Senator Debbie Stabenow‘s office and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell‘s office. In preparation for these meetings, I was encouraged to talk about the need for continued protections for medicaid and medicare and also…
Read MoreATXchange.org
The ATXchange.org is a website designed to facilitate transactions between residents of Michigan exchanging, donating, or selling used assistive technology (AT). Any used/open box device that assists a person with a disability to live more independently or safely (assistive technology) may be submitted. Sellers create listings for a wide variety of used AT; wheelchair accessible…
Read MoreSeeing the Beauty in Trying Something New
This story comes to us from Jenell Williams of Disability Network Oakland & Macomb: J. Thomas is very active in her community. She loves spending time with her family and friends. Most of all she loves her early mornings. In the morning she has her special routine where she fixes her breakfast and sits down…
Read MoreMy Navigation Disability is a “Real Thing”
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff When I present about Assistive Technology (AT), I usually talk about some of AT that I personally use. One of my most used (and loved) AT is Global Positioning System or GPS . I have a disability that impacts my ability to navigate. When I walk, bike, drive,…
Read MoreAT for Frozen Treats in the Summer Heat!
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff The weather where I live in lower Michigan has been fairly hot lately (or at least, hotter than I would like!) Frozen treats seem to help with cooling down, but sometimes aren’t the easiest to access. Typical ice cream scoops require a good amount of upper body strength,…
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