Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement Mike Oxford, Director Topeka Independent Living Resource Center

Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement Innovations in digital technology have a widespread, positive impact on independent living for people with disabilities Living the life one wants to live, free of discrimination, externally imposed and limiting boundaries Fundamentally, “independent living” means people with disabilities exercising control over decision making  Having and exercising civil rights  Full community inclusion and participation  Equality

Digital Technology impacts the grassroots disability community in three broad areas:  Mobility – Both personal mobility and transportation related  Communication including dissemination and sharing of knowledge and interpersonal communication  Self awareness and personal responsibility Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement

Mobility: Ongoing advances in sip & puff triggers and switches, individually programmable joysticks, etc., have meant that more people with different and different kinds of disabilities can control their personal mobility instead of having to rely on a pusher Voice-activated systems demonstrate similar benefits This includes being safer and healthier by being able to control “lay-back” and adjustable footrest features Happier, healthier & more independent – changing positions reduces circulation and pressure problems, increases comfort Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement

Mobility, cont. Use accessible transportation as needed more independently Operate personal, private vehicles  In particular, in rural/frontier areas, long commutes to routine and especially specialist health providers  Reduce reliance on & cost of having to have a third party Get around to appointments and between appointments in large facilities/complexes  Reduces reliance on & cost of having to have a third party Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement

Communication: Voice to text / text to voice applications for folks that are blind / have low vision  Jaws, Dragon Dictate  Smaller, lighter more portable devices Increasingly sophisticated, programmable, personalized “Liberators”/talk back communication devices  People with hard to understand, or no speech can speak for themselves in terms of symptoms, pain/comfort, fears, questions, etc.  Gender, type of voice, etc. “personalizations”, common phrases words, questions and so on are pre-programmable  More independent, more accurate, avoid third party confusion, mistakes, manipulation and abuse, extra costs Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement

Communication, cont. Video-phone/video conferencing American Sign Language users (Deaf & hard of hearing) ASL Interpreting “Teams” as well as individuals can more comprehensively interact Distance hook-ups and monitoring of all sort of health issues and symptoms Incredibly important for folks that are isolated, especially in rural/frontier areas Environmental & assistive technology / household monitors Open close blinds, turn on/off lights & appliances Monitor for wandering, eating, taking meds, etc. Handheld, wristwatch type devices Alerts, reminders & warnings Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement

Communication, cont. Locate & “match” compatible in-home service & supports workforce  Receive and share resumes, experience, training, references  Ability to “share” or “borrow” another person’s worker  Social networking between folks with similar needs and issues Receive and transmit reminders, appointment scheduling, updates  Electronic timesheets & e-pay-cards in Medicaid Home and Community-based Services Download & share all sorts of publications, studies, information important to maintaining and improving health & well-being  Increasingly smaller, more portable devices Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement

Improved self-awareness & responsibility Health can be self-monitored, evaluated, addressed  Increase independence, increase feelings of control Individuals can communicate better, real-time input to providers Individuals more aware of symptoms  Time of day  Exacerbations  Factors that my trigger increased symptoms Digital Technology: Impact on People with Disabilities – Notes from the Grassroots Independent Living Movement