Weighed Down for Better Sleep

By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff I have a long history of battling insomnia. Lately, I have been having even more problems sleeping following a series of life traumas and increased anxiety. My therapist suggested trying a weighted blanket. I had previously heard of weighted blankets as calming options for people on the Autism Spectrum.…

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Music is my Assistive Technology

Woman listening to headphones connected to a smartphone.

By Jen Gosett, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff How often do you listen to music?  Do you turn it on when you wake up?  Do you listen in the car/transit as you head to work & go about your day?  Is it on when you’re in the shower?  When you’re doing chores?  While working out?  Maybe…

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The Coolest Halloween Costumes Include AT!

Boy in wheelchair with Wheel of Fortune wheel on his wheel covers. He is holding a $5000 wheel piece.

By MATP Staffer Laura Hall I have to admit, this is my favorite blog post of the year.  For the past few years, each Halloween, I have written a blog that features Halloween costumes that incorporate mobility devices and other AT into them.  Every year I find costumes that are more innovative than the year…

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Introducing: The Flash!

Woman reaching into her microwave using the Active Reach feature

By MATP Staffer Laura Hall Last week I got a new power wheelchair.  It’s hard to explain to people who don’t use mobility devices, but getting a new wheelchair is like Christmas, Easter and your birthday all rolled into one. Way more exciting than a new car.  Obtaining a new wheelchair is usually a long…

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The Nights are Longer and SAD is Here

light therapy box

By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff I can feel the change in the seasons and I’m not enjoying it. Shorter days and longer nights start the cycle of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for me. This time of year I start feeling the energy drain and the pull of my bed increase. According to the Mayo…

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Butterflies, Bracelets, and Rocks

By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff My Facebook memories have been showing me that October is often a very hard month for me with many anniversaries of stressful events. I want to share a blog post I wrote two years ago as it came up in my Facebook memories as well and sparked a lot…

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Tasty Tools: Assistive Technology in the Kitchen (Part 6)

Kitchenaid stand mixer

By Jen Gosett, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff Welcome back to our Assistive Technology in the Kitchen series, Part 6 :-)!  Today we are talking about using a stand mixer (or standing mixer) as an Assistive Technology support in the kitchen!   Mixing by hand can require precision, endurance, and fine motor control.  Handheld, electric beaters…

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Point Louder!

hand with finger pointing right

While facilitating a training session with a group, I was told to “point louder”, a humorous way to let me my pointing was not effective communication, since some members of the group were blind. Audio description is the auditory narration of visual representations such as television programs, films and live performances. During gaps in dialogue,…

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What’s Cooking?

By Guest Blogger: Kellie Blackwell, Disability Network Capital Area When it comes to cooking, I have often shied away from trying many things. I have a gas stove and this can present some challenges with low vision, another reason is that I like being able to follow a recipe. It was not until I began…

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