Posts by Aimee Sterk
Stay Home, Stay Safe with Amazon’s Alexa
By Laura Hall, MATP Staff In the video linked to this blog, I demonstrate just a few of the things you can do with Amazon’s Alexa that could be helpful during this time of “Stay Home, Stay Safe”. The device used in this video is the Echo First Generation, but I also mention the Echo…
Read MorePumpkins, Pirates and Pride: AT and Halloween
by Laura Hall, MATP Staff Member Each year around this time, I write a blog about Haloween costumes that incorporate a person’s assistive technology. It’s one of my favorite posts of the year, which is interesting because Halloween has never really been my favorite holiday. When I was a kid, I always found that choosing…
Read MoreRolling into Home Automation
by MATP Staff Member Laura Hall The number of items in your home that can now be controlled remotely, by smartphone, or by voice is staggering and growing every day. I’ve been slow to upgrade my home to “smart home”, but now that I’ve been bitten by the bug there may be no stopping me.Over…
Read MoreAT for Caring for Our Furry Friends
By Guest Blogger, RoAnne Chaney I have always liked cats, my own and friends’ pets. Dogs are OK, but cats are my favorite fur babies. They are soft, cuddly, and usually, have unique character features. When I started using a wheelchair and my last cat died from illness causing me a lot of pain and…
Read MoreAll I want for Christmas is My Two AT (2018)
By MATP Staff Laura Hall Dear Santa, It’s that time of year again! I’m getting excited about the upcoming holiday season, and I’m sure you are too. Keeping with tradition, I am sending you my wishlist for my top AT items I am hoping for this year. Now, I know in the past, some of my…
Read MoreBarriers to the Ballot Box
By Laura Hall, MATP Staff Member When I arrived at my polling place this morning, like many voters, I was excited to take part in this important election. I felt prepared because I had ensured I was registered to vote, found my polling place, researched the candidates and issues and filled out a sample personalized…
Read MoreBack to School Assistive Technology
by Laura Hall, MATP staff This morning, I awoke to the sound of the school bus in my neighborhood. I knew my commute to work would begin to take longer as students now inhabit the city within the city that is Michigan State University. It’s back to school time, and we wanted to start the…
Read MoreKnow Your Voting Rights
The Michigan Primary Elections are taking place on August 7th and today is the final day to register to vote! Candidates for Governor, U.S. Congress, and state Senate and House members are among the important decisions on the ballot. If you haven’t registered already, you can still do so through the Secretary of State’s…
Read More“Pawsatively” Helpful: AT for Dog Care
By Laura Hall, MATP Staff A few weeks ago, I attended a training that was more intense and grueling than any other training I’ve given or received, but the reward was life-changing. For two weeks I attended “Team Training” through Canine Companions for Independence to receive my second service dog. After working with many dogs…
Read MoreWheelchairs and Airline Travel: A Turbulent Experience
By MATP Staff Member Laura Hall Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to represent the Michigan Assistive Technology Program at the National Symposium of AT Act Programs meeting and visit Capitol Hill to speak with legislators about the importance and benefits of assistive technology. Typically, I fly to this event, but due to some…
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