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AT for Cutting Without Cuts in the Kitchen: a Vlog!
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff Due to precautions related Covid-19, many of us are cooking from home more. For someone whose disability impacts their vision, fine motor, hand dexterity, and upper body strength and coordination, cutting and chopping food can be challenging. Assistive Technology (AT) devices are available that may help. In the…
Read MoreWearable AT for Navigation!
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff In a previous AT blog post, I shared that I have a disability that impacts my ability to navigate. When I walk, bike, drive, etc., without my GPS, I can’t work out where I am or how I need to get where I need to go. More than…
Read MoreYay for Bidets!!!
By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff My friend, Joe Stramondo, is a great many number of things, a dad, a philosopher and professor, a disability justice activist, and he is a champion of bidets, spreading word near and far of just how awesome they are. According to Joe, “Self-reliance when using the toilet is generally…
Read MoreInterdependence
By Paul Miller, Community Inclusion Specialist, MDRC Independence is something we strive for as we grow up, but as an adult I have grown to understand that interdependence is a more accurate view of life. Interdependence is a concept explained best by saying that our independence relies on the help of others. My Dad passed…
Read MoreAssistive Technology for Kids who Experienced Trauma
By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff I’m working on a trauma certificate and recently attended a symposium on Somatic Experience therapy for children who have experienced trauma. The presenter, Maggie Kline, LMFT, explained that for young children (birth to 18 months) who experience trauma, the body holds the memory and that therapy needs to focus…
Read MoreVeterans and AT for PTSD
By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Program Staff In June I was paging through my copy of Woman’s Day Magazine and was impressed with an article on Veterans and AT use: How My Veteran Husband Copes with His War Injuries . The focus is on caregivers/family/friends of veterans’ views and support, but the AT used is…
Read MoreCritical Connections
“We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it’s never a question of ‘critical mass.’ It’s always about critical connections.” Grace Lee Boggs This quote came up in my Facebook memories this week, posted by a friend and colleague some…
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 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 MoreCAPABLE Program to Roll Out Across Michigan
By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Program Staff People with barriers to community living who use supports through the Mi Choice Waiver Program (which provides services in the community instead of nursing homes) participated in a study that showed that accessing assistive technology, instruction, and home modifications decreased falls and hospitalizations and increased their ability to…
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