Shepherd Center's Assistive Technology Center works with technologies like smart phones, tablets and voice-activated devices to provide assistance and support to people living with disabilities. Shepherd Center occupational therapists evaluate each user's lifestyle requirements and functional abilities, then provide custom modifications to hardware, software, electronics and other appliances so that users can live safely and function productively.
Adina Bradshaw, a speech pathologist at Shepherd Center, discusses how Shepherd Center uses adaptive technology to fit the patients' needs.
The Latest in Assistive Technology for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury
Featured Speaker:
Adina Bradshaw, MS
Adina Bradshaw, MS is a Speech Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology (AT) Specialist at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her B.S. Ed and M.S. in Speech Pathology from Miami University. Adina has over 10 years of experience evaluating and implementing AT and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. Transcription:
The Latest in Assistive Technology for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury
Melanie Cole (Host): Shepherd Center’s Assistive Technology Center works with technologies like Smart phones, tablets, and voice activated devices to provide assistance and support to people living with disabilities. Here to tell us about that is my guest Adina Bradshaw. She’s a speech pathologist at Shepherd Center. Adina what is assistive technology?
Adina Bradshaw, MS, CCC-SLP, ATP (Guest): Assistive technology is the way that someone accesses their technology or their environment. So, for most people, who are – don’t have a mobility impairment, you would just pick up your telephone and tap on it or tap on your computer but our patients who have some mobility deficits or are not able to use their hands; they need an alternative access to turn on lights, to use their computer, to activate their telephone, to open doors. So, we give them those tools and that alternative access to do all of those daily activities that they might have done prior to their injury.
Melanie: So, tell us about the Assistive Technology Center at Shepherd Center.
Adina: So, our center is – we kind of feel like it is one of a kind. We have one occupational therapist and one speech therapist and then we have our manager who is a rehab technician and we have a technologist that helps us build. And our patients will come into our lab and try out equipment that may help them with whatever their goals are. All of our equipment is also on wheels so if a patient is in their room and they can’t leave their room; we can roll everything to their room to help them trial it and figure out what’s best for them. The first thing we do is ask them what their goals are. Someone’s goals might be as simple as just checking Facebook on their cell phone or checking Facebook on the computer or they might want to go back to work and run a whole company. So, we would trial voice activation for computers, we would try mouse options for the computers. We have a variety of adaptive mice and voice activation options so that almost anything can be controlled. With consumer technology becoming so mainstream now and assistive technology being built into it; a lot of our patients are also coming in with Amazon Echo devices or Google Home and we are teaching them how to use those not just to play a simple game or play their music; but to actually control their environment and increase their independence. And while we are increasing their independence, we are also decreasing their caregiver burden. So, it helps with everyone in their environment.
Melanie: Wow, that’s so cool. So, why did Shepherd Center create something like Assistive Technology? Was it brought to your attention from members of the community? Did you notice that there was support lacking for people with disabilities that they weren’t able to do these things that many of us take for granted?
Adina: So, it’s a very interesting story actually and I got it second hand. So, the way Shepherd Center started Assistive Technology actually started in the mid-80s. there were some students from Georgia Tech which is located down the street from us showing off projects to the VA and at Piedmont and the Shepherd Board was over there and they saw these projects and how they can help their patients and they got the idea that heh, if we have a program like this we could really, really benefit out patients like no one else could. So, they were really a pioneer at that point in time. Because they – you could not buy an adaptive light switch off of the shelf. It had to be created. So, Shepherd wanted to create that. So, our program is actually – was born around the mid-80s which is unlike anyone else and then it’s grown over the years as this technology has become more prevalent and more mainstream we are able to give the patients more at a lesser cost instead of having to create everything.
Melanie: Adina are there some kinks that still need to be worked out?
Adina: The number one problem we have with assistive technology is the funding. Insurance companies do not deem assistive technology as medically necessary even though if we put a $40 Amazon Echo in someone’s home and they fall, or they get stuck or something happens; they can call for help for $40. Insurance does not see that as important. So, on top of all of the other equipment that these patients need due to their injuries or catastrophic injuries or degenerative diseases or whatever it is; insurance will not pay for all of this that could actually make them independent. In addition, it also helps with their social emotional wellbeing. Because if they are able to have a connection outside in the world, as opposed to just being stuck in their bedroom; it helps them with their overall wellbeing and their recovery. So, a lot of our patients once we show them the ability to get on their computer or make a phone call, call their family across the country; it changes their whole perspective about what they can do after an injury and once they change that perspective, they are willing to work harder or occupational therapy, physical therapy and get better and they see a future and they see what they can do with this technology. But then we go, and we talk about how much it might cost and something could be $40, $100, it could be $500, it could be $1000 but none of it is covered by insurance. And nobody pays for it. So, we have to raise a lot of money in order to get the technology to demonstrate to the people, but then also to get the technology in their hands so that they can be more independent and functional.
Melanie: Well as you are talking about the ways to raise money and describe for us what kinds of help assistive technology can give. You mentioned like the Amazon Echo and mouse activation, but what about driving or wheelchair mobility or even pediatric assistive technology.
Adina: Yeah, so in driving, it’s also another big concern is the funding in driving. So, if an individual is going to start driving, they do their evaluation, but only half of their actual evaluation is paid for by insurance. The other half that they go out on the road and practice the skills is not paid for by insurance. And then once they decide what equipment is best for them; some of the equipment can be funded through state agencies, but a lot of it is not, but the vans themselves are expensive, so even if they get a van then they have to have it adapted for their needs with their equipment. And the same thing with the seating with funding. You can get an evaluation for wheelchair, but not all wheelchairs are covered and not all features of the wheelchairs are covered by insurance. So, they – and also insurance will only buy you a new wheelchair once every five years. So, if you are really rough on your chair, you are stuck with it for five years too. So, there are a lot of options. A lot of also with pediatrics assistive technology. We are looking a lot at toys, games, reading, return to school and again, none of that is funded. So, we really want to find out how we can raise some more funds and make assistive technology something that people actually think about in their rehabilitation as important and how it can help them.
Melanie: What a wonderful program and amazing technology out there today. So, wrap it up for us Adina, with your best information for the listeners and what you would like them to take away from this. Maybe even what you see going on in the future, the trend toward assistive technology and just give us your best advice.
Adina: My best advice is to think outside the box. If you think that because you had an injury or degenerative disease that you can no longer do X, Y, and Z because your fingers don’t work, or your hands don’t work; you can do it. You just have to find another way. Gaming is another thing. You can still game. There are plenty of options out there. You just have to find the right people to show you what’s out there, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Every state has a state funded assistive technology program, so it doesn’t matter what state you are in. Look up where your assistive technology program is and contact them and see what they can do to help you to get back to driving, to get you a wheelchair or to get you any sort of assistive technology for your daily activities.
Melanie: Wow, thank you Adina so much for all the great work that you are doing for people with disabilities and what an amazing field because it’s really going to continue to grow and continue to advance with all of this advancing technology. Thank you so much for joining us today. You’re listening to Shepherd Center Radio. For more information pleas go to www.shepherd.org, that’s www.shepherd.org. This is Melanie Cole, thanks so much for tuning in.
The Latest in Assistive Technology for Spinal Cord and Brain Injury
Melanie Cole (Host): Shepherd Center’s Assistive Technology Center works with technologies like Smart phones, tablets, and voice activated devices to provide assistance and support to people living with disabilities. Here to tell us about that is my guest Adina Bradshaw. She’s a speech pathologist at Shepherd Center. Adina what is assistive technology?
Adina Bradshaw, MS, CCC-SLP, ATP (Guest): Assistive technology is the way that someone accesses their technology or their environment. So, for most people, who are – don’t have a mobility impairment, you would just pick up your telephone and tap on it or tap on your computer but our patients who have some mobility deficits or are not able to use their hands; they need an alternative access to turn on lights, to use their computer, to activate their telephone, to open doors. So, we give them those tools and that alternative access to do all of those daily activities that they might have done prior to their injury.
Melanie: So, tell us about the Assistive Technology Center at Shepherd Center.
Adina: So, our center is – we kind of feel like it is one of a kind. We have one occupational therapist and one speech therapist and then we have our manager who is a rehab technician and we have a technologist that helps us build. And our patients will come into our lab and try out equipment that may help them with whatever their goals are. All of our equipment is also on wheels so if a patient is in their room and they can’t leave their room; we can roll everything to their room to help them trial it and figure out what’s best for them. The first thing we do is ask them what their goals are. Someone’s goals might be as simple as just checking Facebook on their cell phone or checking Facebook on the computer or they might want to go back to work and run a whole company. So, we would trial voice activation for computers, we would try mouse options for the computers. We have a variety of adaptive mice and voice activation options so that almost anything can be controlled. With consumer technology becoming so mainstream now and assistive technology being built into it; a lot of our patients are also coming in with Amazon Echo devices or Google Home and we are teaching them how to use those not just to play a simple game or play their music; but to actually control their environment and increase their independence. And while we are increasing their independence, we are also decreasing their caregiver burden. So, it helps with everyone in their environment.
Melanie: Wow, that’s so cool. So, why did Shepherd Center create something like Assistive Technology? Was it brought to your attention from members of the community? Did you notice that there was support lacking for people with disabilities that they weren’t able to do these things that many of us take for granted?
Adina: So, it’s a very interesting story actually and I got it second hand. So, the way Shepherd Center started Assistive Technology actually started in the mid-80s. there were some students from Georgia Tech which is located down the street from us showing off projects to the VA and at Piedmont and the Shepherd Board was over there and they saw these projects and how they can help their patients and they got the idea that heh, if we have a program like this we could really, really benefit out patients like no one else could. So, they were really a pioneer at that point in time. Because they – you could not buy an adaptive light switch off of the shelf. It had to be created. So, Shepherd wanted to create that. So, our program is actually – was born around the mid-80s which is unlike anyone else and then it’s grown over the years as this technology has become more prevalent and more mainstream we are able to give the patients more at a lesser cost instead of having to create everything.
Melanie: Adina are there some kinks that still need to be worked out?
Adina: The number one problem we have with assistive technology is the funding. Insurance companies do not deem assistive technology as medically necessary even though if we put a $40 Amazon Echo in someone’s home and they fall, or they get stuck or something happens; they can call for help for $40. Insurance does not see that as important. So, on top of all of the other equipment that these patients need due to their injuries or catastrophic injuries or degenerative diseases or whatever it is; insurance will not pay for all of this that could actually make them independent. In addition, it also helps with their social emotional wellbeing. Because if they are able to have a connection outside in the world, as opposed to just being stuck in their bedroom; it helps them with their overall wellbeing and their recovery. So, a lot of our patients once we show them the ability to get on their computer or make a phone call, call their family across the country; it changes their whole perspective about what they can do after an injury and once they change that perspective, they are willing to work harder or occupational therapy, physical therapy and get better and they see a future and they see what they can do with this technology. But then we go, and we talk about how much it might cost and something could be $40, $100, it could be $500, it could be $1000 but none of it is covered by insurance. And nobody pays for it. So, we have to raise a lot of money in order to get the technology to demonstrate to the people, but then also to get the technology in their hands so that they can be more independent and functional.
Melanie: Well as you are talking about the ways to raise money and describe for us what kinds of help assistive technology can give. You mentioned like the Amazon Echo and mouse activation, but what about driving or wheelchair mobility or even pediatric assistive technology.
Adina: Yeah, so in driving, it’s also another big concern is the funding in driving. So, if an individual is going to start driving, they do their evaluation, but only half of their actual evaluation is paid for by insurance. The other half that they go out on the road and practice the skills is not paid for by insurance. And then once they decide what equipment is best for them; some of the equipment can be funded through state agencies, but a lot of it is not, but the vans themselves are expensive, so even if they get a van then they have to have it adapted for their needs with their equipment. And the same thing with the seating with funding. You can get an evaluation for wheelchair, but not all wheelchairs are covered and not all features of the wheelchairs are covered by insurance. So, they – and also insurance will only buy you a new wheelchair once every five years. So, if you are really rough on your chair, you are stuck with it for five years too. So, there are a lot of options. A lot of also with pediatrics assistive technology. We are looking a lot at toys, games, reading, return to school and again, none of that is funded. So, we really want to find out how we can raise some more funds and make assistive technology something that people actually think about in their rehabilitation as important and how it can help them.
Melanie: What a wonderful program and amazing technology out there today. So, wrap it up for us Adina, with your best information for the listeners and what you would like them to take away from this. Maybe even what you see going on in the future, the trend toward assistive technology and just give us your best advice.
Adina: My best advice is to think outside the box. If you think that because you had an injury or degenerative disease that you can no longer do X, Y, and Z because your fingers don’t work, or your hands don’t work; you can do it. You just have to find another way. Gaming is another thing. You can still game. There are plenty of options out there. You just have to find the right people to show you what’s out there, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Every state has a state funded assistive technology program, so it doesn’t matter what state you are in. Look up where your assistive technology program is and contact them and see what they can do to help you to get back to driving, to get you a wheelchair or to get you any sort of assistive technology for your daily activities.
Melanie: Wow, thank you Adina so much for all the great work that you are doing for people with disabilities and what an amazing field because it’s really going to continue to grow and continue to advance with all of this advancing technology. Thank you so much for joining us today. You’re listening to Shepherd Center Radio. For more information pleas go to www.shepherd.org, that’s www.shepherd.org. This is Melanie Cole, thanks so much for tuning in.