Technologies Reaching Diverse Communities: Disability, Seniors, Youth, Low-Income Presented by: Elizabeth Layman, Projects Coordinator, World Institute on Disability, www.wid.org

What Is WID? The World Institute on Disability (WID) works to fully integrate people with disabilities into their communities socially and economically. Research, policy, and consulting shop Created in 1983 by the leader of the Disability Rights Movement, Ed Roberts Focus on the 20% of Americans who live with disabilities; these are YOUR populations A branch of WID: food and nutrition For 3 years, WID conducted focus groups and in-depth interviews with people with disabilities about food

What Is A Disability? Americans with Disability (ADA) of 1990 “A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.”

Examples Of Disabilities Blind/vision loss Deaf/hearing loss Diabetes Cancer Epilepsy Intellectual Disabilities Partial or Completely Missing Limbs Mobility Impairments requiring the use of a wheel chair Autism Cerebral Palsy HIV Infection Multiple sclerosis Muscular dystrophy Major depressive disorder Bipolar disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder Schizophrenia

Discrimination: Big Picture People with disabilities may walk, talk, hear, see, or think differently than the average person. They experience discrimination in many different ways: Education Employment Transportation Telecommunications ADA has seen improvements in these categories.

What’s Being Left Out?

Food! People with disabilities are food insecure with limited or uncertain access to adequate food (USDA-United States Department of Agriculture) People with disabilities often are poor They may live in food deserts (low-income, no car, supermarkets far away)

Disability-Specific Challenges People with disabilities encounter difficulties buying, transporting, and preparing healthy, nutritious foods. Person with vision loss can’t read labels Person in wheelchair can’t navigate crowded aisles and displays at grocery store Deaf person can’t hear oven timer Short of stature person can’t reach appliances/shelves Person in wheelchair can’t use own kitchen

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What Happens Then? Existing conditions get worse PLUS, added chronic conditions: Heart disease Diabetes High cholesterol

Secondary Problem: Access To Information People with disabilities don’t have access to information catered to their needs Disabled bodies and/or minds might make eating different; example: “My doctor tells me that eating a hamburger for me is like eating three hamburgers because I can't get up and walk around. I get to eat a third of that burger. How can you tell someone that?!” (focus group member) So many different types of disabilities! Where can people with disabilities go for nutrition information specific to them?

Call For Recipes: Request WID released a call for recipes from people with disabilities and seniors. The ask: healthy and easy recipes with six or fewer items; affordable, flexible for food intolerances, allergies.

Call For Recipes: Results Results? Oops! People with disabilities need more support How can we support folks who stay in their homes? Who are in nursing homes? Who are working multiple jobs? Who are low-income?

A Quick Diversion- Spoon University Spoon University: an online food publication for college students by college students; covers everything from easy, dorm recipes to eating disorder survival stories http://spoonuniversity.com/

Why It Matters “I don’t want to use the m word, but Millenials aren’t cooking. They spend most of their time on technology.” (panelists at a food talk in SF) It turns out Millenials are using technology, yes, but to cook! Example: Spoon University Can we use the same technology to reach those with disabilities, seniors, low-income folks? Yes!

WID’s Solution www.disabilityfeast.wordpress.com Disability FEAST: handouts, links, resources; and, simple, tasty, affordable, and healthy recipes. Catered to the disability community Also, works well for: Low-income Seniors Young adults/new cooks www.disabilityfeast.wordpress.com (People lacking time/money/cooking skills)

Technology As A Tool Disability FEAST has a focus on technology Online resources/links Youtube videos Digital communities (e.g. Pinterest, Facebook) Online cookbooks

People with disabilities using technology Much like Millenials, people with disabilities use to technology to cook—in fact, they beat the Millenials to it probably. Technology broadly defined as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry” Examples: https://disabilityfeast.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/acc essible-kitchen-tools-and-devices/

Silverware set for lack of dexterity: http://engineeringathome.org/adaptations/eating- tools Oven alarm for Deaf cooks: http://www.harriscomm.com/quake-n-wake-three- alert-vibrating-multi-timer.html Arthritis/one handed: http://www.allegromedical.com/daily-living-aids- c519/kitchen-aids-c3618.html Blind/vision loss: http://www.braillebookstore.com/Kitchen-Corner And at 2:31-3:08: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiT08Y0yIWU Spoon that steadies tremors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEEhuYkpVWM

Take Away People with disabilities deserve a seat at the table, too! (Many of them can even bring their own chair!) Thank you!