AT Lab modifies adult bike

The Assistive Technology Lab at Utah State University recently modified a regular adult two-wheeled bike for a Cache Valley girl with autism.

Training wheels available on the market are for smaller bikes and did not provide the pre-teen a wide enough base of support. A custom system with larger wheels provided the stability needed.

The finished product was professional looking and affordable!

Assistive Technology Fact Sheet

Assistive technology ranges from low to high.

Check out a great fact sheet on assistive technology from the Family Center on Technology and Disability: http://weba.im/3yb. It includes a breakdown of AT from low to high, and how to pick the right device for your family member.

UATP 2011 Annual Report

The Utah Assistive Technology Program began in 1989 under the Assistive Technology Act. The goal of UATP, a non-profit, is to ensure that Utahans with disabilities obtain the assistive technology devices and services they need to be more independent in employment, educational and community settings. Every year, UATP strives to reach more people across the state of Utah. Check out our summary of actitivies for 2011 below, and find more in-depth stories on those we've assisted by visiting the Annual Report page.

Training: 2,303 participants were trained on AT in one-on-one, online, classroom and conference settings.

Information: 104,057 consumers, families and professionals received assistance with AT devices, services and funding.

Technical Assistance: 457 hours provided to organizations.

Public Awareness: 90,468 individuals were reached through a variety of media to increase awareness of UATP and assistive technology.

AT Lab: 876 individuals received device demonstrations.

CReATE & AT Lab: 165 devices were repaired, refurbished and recycled, saving consumers $224,879.

UATF: Loans for AT devices were given to122 individuals, worth $962,985 were financed at a 1.63% interest rate.

CReATE client, Larry O'Sullivan.

Larry O'Sullivan is a wheelchair recipient and fan of CReATE (Citizens Reutilizing Assistive Technology Equipment). This program of UATP refubishes donated mobility equipment to get back to the community for a minimal cost. O'Sullivan shares how getting his chair has changed his life on his blog. Read the post here.

Students volunteer cleaning and organizing CReATE
(Citizens Reutilizing Assistive Technology Equipment).
A program that refurbishes donated mobility equipment.

There are many volunteers at the Center for Persons with Disabilities, including the Utah Assistive Technology Program. Recently, groups of students spent their spring break in Logan, Utah, helping at the CPD and UATP. See a few of the things volunteers do in a YouTube video. Learn more about volunteering at the CPD by calling Jeff Sheen at 435-797-8113.

CReATE is Earth-friendly

UATP's Clay Christensen pushes a
powerchair to the scrap pile at the recyclers.

The ideas behind Earth Day have implications for just about everyone, including UATP. Our program, CReATE (Citizens Reusing Assistive Technology Equipment), is a project based on the principles of recycling and upcycling.

The Utah non-profit recieves donated mobility equipment from the community. Wheelchairs and scooters that cannot be reused are parted out (controls, wheels, etc. to be used on future chairs) and then taken to a scrap metal recycler.

Larry O'Sullivan, a Sandy, Utah resident, 
using a powerchair he got from CReATE.

Chairs that are usable are refurbished using new and old parts to bring them back to manufacturer specs. They are then available to the community for a fraction of the cost of a new chair - just a couple hundred dollars. This is a great help to those who's insurance may not cover a chair or someone who just needs an extra chair to keep in the car. You see trash, CReATE sees independence.

Parts taken from unusable mobility devices are organized
at CReATE, which are then used on other chairs, saving the
community money and keeping wheelchairs out of landfills.

This last year, CReATE recycled 189 batteries (6,282 pounds) keeping them out of the landfills. Since February 2009, CReATE has recycled 298 devices weighing 38,430 pounds or 19.215 tons.

Donations received by CReATE thus keeping them out of the landfill:

· 101 manual wheelchairs

· 226 power wheelchairs

· 39 scooters

· 29 other Assistive Technology devices

If you are interested in donating a used mobility device to CReATe, or obtaining a device, call 801-887-9398.

Utah Conservation Corps needs members for 2012 survey crew

Service Position Summary: The Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) is seeking 4 AmeriCorps crew members to serve as on the 2012 survey crew. Crew members will conduct accessibility surveys of trails, campgrounds and facilities within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and work closely with the Forest Service to develop transition plans and make changes on the ground. The crew will document such things as picnic table dimensions and trail width/slope according to ABA (Architectural Barriers Act) standards. Crew members will enter survey data into a U.S. Forest Service database for use by the agency and the public.

Service Position Title:  Accessibility Survey Crew Member (full-time 900 hour AmeriCorps position)

TIME COMMITMENT & PAY: 

·  June 4 – November 2, 2012

·  $6,250 AmeriCorps Living Allowance (paid in $625 semi-monthly installments)

·  $2,675 AmeriCorps Education Award (upon completion of service) 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:        

·  Conduct on-site accessibility surveys of developed campgrounds, facilities, and trails within the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 

·  Enter accurate survey data into U.S. Forest Service database

·  Provide land managers with professional reports and feedback, enabling them to improve disability access on public lands  

·  Participate in group presentations to land managers and public officials

MARGINAL FUNCTIONS:

· Transport equipment and tools to and from project site

· Conduct trail maintenance to make trails more accessible

· Set up tents

· Cook meals

Principal Working Relationships:

• Work as a team with other crew members with and without disabilities to complete project tasks
• Work in partnership with agency sponsors

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• High School Graduate (minimum)
• Computer Skills
• Camping Experience
• Communication Skills

Service Conditions:  Accessibility surveys will be conducted outdoors on U.S. Forest Service land and data entry will be performed in an office. 

PHYSICAL & MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:  Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the following requirements.

·  Be 18 years or older

·  Be able to manage all personal care and mobility

·  Work successfully as part of a mixed-ability team

·  Be outdoors for extended periods during the summer months

·  Be able to successfully use a computer

·  Be able to communicate clearly and consistently

·  Be able to record accurate information and pay attention to detail

·  Travel in lift equipped van for up to 6 hours to/from job sites

·  Camp overnight with crew for up to 4 consecutive nights

Equipment Used:  Smart Tool level*, inclinometer* (measures running slope), scale, camera, GPS unit, roll-a-wheel* (measures longer distances), tape measure*

*These tools have been modified so that they are usable by people with a variety of disabilities.