On The Road To OT

[lcmiller1s-blog]

There is a phone app called BeAware. It is used for those who have a visual impairment. A college in Fresno has used it to help students with their mobility and independence on campus. It lets them know where obstructions are located when they are walking to a destination. It includes permanent obstructions (benches, fountains,etc.), as well as temporary ones (construction, road blocks, etc.). When using the app, their phone or smart watch can notify them of an obstruction using either audio or a vibration notification. This app benefits occupational therapy by increasing a person's independence in their daily ambulation. It also gives them the confidence that they won't run into an obstruction during their commute and decreases injury risks.

[lcmiller1s-blog]

Micro-Blog 3: Real-time text to Braille translator. This device was created by 6 students at MIT who created the first transportable text to Braille converter. It was designed to give access to those who are visually impaired a way to receive printed text at a reasonable cost. The way that this device is used is that it just run over the printed text and the Braille becomes translated above as a pin interface. The way this device would benefit assistive technology and occupational therapy is that it would give access to those who are visually impaired. It creates another means of communication that people would be missing out on if it wasn’t for this device. Translations into Braille are time-consuming and expensive. This device would open up the amount of information accessible to those with an impairment.

[lcmiller1s-blog]

TAP is a device that can let a person type on a keyboard anywhere and on any surface. It is a wearable technology device that uses taps and patterns to spell words. What makes it an assistive technology device for occupational therapy is that it is ergonomic in design, and cant be used on only 1 hand. You can type anywhere, including your lap and its small and portable so you can bring it with you wherever you go. Even though learning the sequences of taps could be challenging at first, I can see how this be helpful to many people.

[lcmiller1s-blog]

Unit2- Neurosurgeons at Stanford University invented a mind-reading typing aid for those that are paralyzed! The device is implanted into the person’s brain area that controls movement. It decodes a person’s thought on the movement that they want to occur and directs a mouse cursor to the area they want to select. The process was not immediate, but the participants were able to move the cursor within a day. Even though this device is still experimental, it could help those who are paralyzed express themselves. There are still the devices that use someone’s hand, mouth or cheek to be able to type, but this one is supposed to be a lot faster (5x as fast).

Link: https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/stanford-assistive-typing-device-paralysis

[lcmiller1s-blog]

Bringing Assistive Technology to Patrons http://flip.it/ns3kx3

Libraries are teaming up to provide training to those who need help with certain assistive technology devices. Those who need accessibility options on their iPad or on a computer may not know how to access them, therefore this free training can help people access the internet, write an email, play a game, etc.! Training includes beginner or advanced lessons on using reading magnification and speech software to read websites, emails, and other documents, as well as an introduction to the assistive technology features on iPads. This is beneficial to OT because it could open up an easier way to obtain information for those who couldn’t/ didn’t know how to access it before! I am hopeful that more libraries across the county will provide this training for our communities.

[draikinator-archive]

dogs are so good

[healingheartdogs]

I’m so glad this shows different types of dogs as service dogs. So many people I know think service dogs MUST be breeds like labs, golden, or poodles. I saw a post not too long ago where a woman was accusing someone of having a fake service dog because their service dog was a Staffy and “that is very obviously NOT an allowed service dog breed.”

ANY BREED CAN BE A SERVICE DOG BREED. THERE ARE NO BREED REQUIREMENTS FOR SERVICE DOGS.

[lcmiller1s-blog]

Micro Blog #3-This solo grip non-slip jar opener wedge is perfect for people who only have the use of one arm or who suffer from weakness. It is designed to place the jar into the wedge to hold it into place. This can help people with the ADL of eating be more independent and have more options in choosing foods they wish to eat! The base had rubber so that it will not slide around on the counter or drawer. It is easily obtainable from Amazon and costs $35. SoloGrip One-Handed Jar Opener https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EQDOOV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_11nKybRVQ9V5Y

[lcmiller1s-blog]

Micro Blog #2-Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, is a speaker that connects to your internet. It can help a person with so many things such as: knowing the weather, playing music, playing audiobooks, asking about the news, setting alarms, purchasing items, locking doors, adjusting the temperature and SO MUCH MORE! This device can help someone who is visually impaired or unable to move easily complete tasks all with their voice. Alexa can help people be more independent and participate in occupations they are interested in (music, books, news, etc.). The Amazon Dot is a compact version that uses Alexa and at $50 is very reasonable to purchase and easy for anyone to obtain.

[lcmiller1s-blog]

This prescription bottle label can stick to any pill bottle. It has a recorder button that can be pressed and then will read aloud the information pertaining to the prescription (medication name, dosage and frequency). This simple device contributes to occupational therapy and assistive technology by helping those who are either visually impaired or have low vision have independence and control over their medication IADL. Medications are serious and those who are taking them need to be sure they are taking the correct amount. If someone has multiple pill bottles and is visually impaired, it would be difficult to know which bottle was which. This leads me to the question…are there Braille medication bottles?