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,…

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…

By MATP Staff Member Laura Hall I have always had trouble sleeping.  Even as a little girl, I’d lie awake thinking that I was the only one in the world awake. I’d wake up my sister, who would not be happy and certainly not comforting.  Now I’m an adult, and thankfully understand the concept of…

By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff When looking for someone to hire to do home modifications there are several key things to consider as you make the best choice for yourself. Home modifications are sometimes tricky. Some builders who have never done them before think they are no different than any other remodel job. This…

There is a universal design approach to handling the barriers of fall and winter, but the reality is that it requires real customization and thought long before the barrier appears. Since it is early fall, I thought I’d summarize the universal design approach before expanding the possibilities with a social support approach I ran across…

By Laura Hall, MSW,  MATP Staffer Happy Labor Day!   You might wonder why I’m working on Labor Day and talking about stress.  Isn’t work stressful enough?  Sure it is.  Everyone experiences stress in their lives, and sometimes it is magnified when you have a disability and can’t be as independent as you want to be. …

By Jen Gosett, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff Picture this: you’re at your local grocery store and you have a full cart of groceries.  You picked out some healthy things, some treats, and some multi-purpose ingredients.  You did good and know you won’t have to go on a big grocery trip again for a while (hooray!).…

By MATP Staff Laura Hall, MSW Recently, I had to take a leave of absence from Michigan Disability Rights Coalition due to a illness.  Normally, I am an extremely organized person, but in this case, all of that went out the window.  During that period and even now, assistive technology has been my saving grace.…

By Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Program Staff I was recently reminded of the RESNA (Rehab Engineering Society of North America) annual conference I attended in Indianapolis a couple years ago. There I met representatives from Scootaround who told me about a program I hadn’t heard of—Total Mobility Management for Airlines—they help people whose wheelchairs and…