Community Connections & Resources

Quilts of Valor®

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Brian Newton

Did you know that Maggie Thompson, owner of Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI), is an avid and talented quilter?  She handcrafts some of the most beautiful and unique pieces of quilt artwork you will ever see.  Thompson has become involved with an exciting organization called the Quilts of Valor Foundation.  Their mission is to, “cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”

Thompson recently donated two of her handmade quilts to ASI clients who are also military veterans:

Bryan Camacho, United States Army (Ret.)

Bryan Camacho served as an infantryman in the U.S. Army from July 2002 until February 2013.  His deployments included three tours in Iraq.  During his third tour in 2007, he was paralyzed by an improvised explosive device (IED). Camacho spent 2.5 years in therapy and another 2.5 years in the U.S. Army before receiving a medical retirement. In November 2014, he sustained a further neck injury in a motor vehicle accident.

“This is probably the nicest quilt I’ve been given,” says Camacho.  “While I am a little uncomfortable receiving gifts for my service, I do appreciate the people that want to offer. I also didn’t expect such a nice quilt and I want to keep it in great condition!”

Brian Newton, United States Air Force VeteranBrian Newton

Brian Newton served in the U.S. Air Force for nine years.  He was a staff sergeant and air traffic controller who was deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch.  He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 45.  He received his first autonoME in 2014 and enjoys the independence it affords him.

“The quilt by Maggie is so nice,” says Newton. “The time and dedication to detail is unbelievable and noted. I appreciate her and Accessibility Services, Inc. for the commitment and support I feel on a daily basis.”

Read more about Brian Newton

THANK YOU Bryan and Brian for the sacrifices you’ve made to preserve our freedoms and protect our country!

 

Former Indy Car Racer Sam Schmidt Hasn’t Allowed His Spinal Cord Injury to Sideline His Love for Driving

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assistive technology for individual with quadriplegias

Indy Car racer Sam Schmidt sustained a C-3/4/5 spinal cord injury in 2000 while practicing for the season opener. As a result, he was paralyzed from the neck down. Now an Indy Racing League owner, Schmidt was able to finally get back behind the wheel thanks to advancements in assistive technology for individual with quadriplegias. Today, he finds independence and respite while driving his 650HP Chevrolet Corvette. Schmidt uses equipment similar to a custom environmental control unit to operate the vehicle using his eyes and a straw – much like the Eye Gaze and sip and puff features of the autonoME ECU devices.  Take a look:

View Video

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) salutes inspiring individuals like Schmidt who beat the odds and found independence despite his spinal cord injury. Schmidt also works to promote research and advocacy for individual with quadriplegias and those with spinal cord injuries through his foundation, Conquer Paralysis Now™.

ASI specializes in developing revolutionary assistive technology for individual with quadriplegias and individuals with debilitating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS).  Our proprietary autonoME is a custom environmental control unit/speech generating device with integrated computer capabilities.  The autonoME Hospital is the first hospital ECU to also incorporate a full television experience.  If you would like to learn more about our autonoME Residential, autonoME Hospital or portable autonoMEgo, one of our product representatives will be happy to schedule either a live or virtual demonstration.  Give us a call to learn more today!

The autonoME Making a Difference at The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital

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the children's center

Special thank you to The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany, Oklahoma for this wonderful article and update on how the autonoME is making a difference in the lives of the children they serve!

Accessibility Services (ASI) worked with The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital to develop and install a customized autonoME hospital system for inpatients and an autonoME system in an AT lab for outpatient demonstrations.

ASI’s Vice President, Brice Green, consulted with the facilities manager at The Children’s Center and customized the autonoME to meet the hospital’s specifications. Heather Giordano M.S., CCC-SLP, Product Rep. and ASI’s in-house national certified speech and language pathologist provided on-site consultation on customizing the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specifically for their patients.

“Knowing that a child who is unable to communicate can now express their thoughts and feelings makes what we do so worthwhile,” explains Green, “And, giving children with disabilities the ability to perform tasks that most people take for granted – such as changing channels on the television or turning on the lights – makes a tremendous difference in the lives of these children and their families. We are honored to be part of the ‘miracles’ that The Children’s Center make happen every day.”

Read what the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital had to say about the autonoME Hospital Solution.

In Memory of ALS Activist Patrick Quinn

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In Memory of ALS Activist Patrick Quinn

Patrick Quinn, co-founder of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, has passed away at age 37.  He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) shortly after his 30th birthday.  He partnered with Peter Frates, an ALS activist and captain of the Boston College baseball team, to create the Ice Bucket Challenge.  The fundraiser – where participants were challenged to post a video of themselves dumping buckets of ice water over their heads – raised more than $220 million for ALS medical research and garnered the attention of celebrities including Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.

The staff at Accessibility Services, Inc. even joined in on the fun, raising money for the cause and posting our own Ice Bucket Challenge video:

ALS is now one of the most recognized diseases on the planet, thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge. The impact Mr. Quinn made in the fight again ALS continues as medical researchers make strides in developing new treatments as they progress toward finding a cure.

We salute you, Mr. Quinn.  You may be gone, but your legacy and work toward finding a cure for ALS will continue to live on. Thank you. May you rest in peace.

View Quinn for the Win Facebook Page.

Neither ALS Nor Covid-19 Kept This Father From His Son’s Games

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Neither ALS Nor Covid-19

As a premier provider of assistive technology for individual with quadriplegias and individuals with debilitating diseases, we work with many clients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). So, when a story like this catches our eyes, we feel compelled to share!

Jim Hilliard is a retired orthopedic and sports medicine surgeon diagnosed with ALS in 2018.  His son, Sam Hilliard, is a rookie outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.  Although COVID-19 is keeping fans out of baseball stadiums nationwide, Hillard and his wife Tamara were able to watch their son play live.  Team management granted special permission for the Hilliard’s and their daughter-in-law to attend an exhibition game and the Rockies first game of the season.

Hilliard made is major league debut last August and has been working to raise money for ALS research ever since. His mom, a former Miss Texas, has played an integral role in these efforts.

Read More

At Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI), we continue to be inspired by stories like these.  Nearly three decades ago, our founder, Fred Thompson, founded ASI to help those with disabilities become more independent. Today, ASI is a leading provider of assistive technology for individual with quadriplegias and individuals with debilitating diseases such as ALS. In fact, our autonoME – a combined environmental control unit / speech generating device with voice assistive technology –  has become a preferred ALS communication device for individuals throughout the country affected by this devastating disease. If you would like to learn more about how the autonoME can help you, your loved one or patients, give us a call to schedule a consultation today!

Putting a Familiar Face on ALS

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amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The ALS ice bucket challenge helped bring awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to millions of people worldwide. However, if you don’t personally know someone with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease is likely still somewhat of an unknown.

Our world is driven by television, entertainment and media.  Recently, two recognizable individuals in the entertainment world have revealed their struggles with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, thus helping to put a familiar face on ALS.

  • Forty-five year old actor Kenneth Mitchell of Star Trek: Discovery and Nancy Drew fame revealed he was diagnosed with ALS back in August 2018 and has been using a wheelchair since October 2019.
  • Famed Survivor contestant Jonathan Penner revealed his wife Stacey has been battling ALS since December 2017. Stacey, who made a brief appearance on the show back in 2006, is now completely immobile.

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) works with therapists, assessors, rehab hospital staff, caregivers and families of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to provide ALS communication and environmental control units for those affected by the disease. Our newly re-designed autonoME is an integrated environmental control unit/speech generating device with full computing capabilities.  Its augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) features and multiple input methods make it ideal for individuals with any type of progressive disease, especially ALS.

Recently, the new autonoME Hospital became the first ever hospital ECU that offers environmental control, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and a fully integrated television experience. ASI continues to develop the most technologically advanced voice assistive technology and custom environmental control unit solutions on the market today.  If you, a loved one, or a patient are affected by ALS, give us a call to schedule a consultation today.

A Sad Goodbye…

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A Sad Goodbye

Pete Frates, the former baseball player/captain and Director of Baseball Operations for Boston College who inspired the ALS ice bucket challenge, has passed away.  Frates was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2012 at age 27.

Frates’ social media campaign challenging friends and celebrities to the ice bucket challenge is attributed to helping make it go viral.  As a result, the challenge raised more than $115 million for the ALS Association, according to the New York Times.

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) was proud to participate in the ice bucket challenge back in 2014.  Not only did we take the challenge, but we made a contribution as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JzGhLTD3yY

A statement from the Boston College BC News website:

“Pete Frates possessed the characteristics we hold dear as a university—courage, integrity, selflessness, and a commitment to helping others,” said Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn. “He accepted his illness and devoted the remaining years of his life to raising awareness of ALS and helping to raise money for a cure. He is a role model for all BC students and a beloved figure on our campus.”

Everyone at ASI is saddened by this loss.  Researchers continue to work on a cure.  Until then, we remain committed to providing the most user-friendly, high-quality and innovative ALS assistive technology on the market today.  The autonoME is a custom environmental control unit equipped with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) capabilities, making it one of the most sought after communication devices for individual with quadriplegias and individuals with debilitating diseases including ALS. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with ALS, please give us a call today.

Job Opportunities for Individual with Quadriplegias

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Job Opportunities for Individual with Quadriplegias

ABILITY JOB FAIR Holds Online Video Career Fair

for Individuals with Disabilities

We have been featuring different jobs for individual with quadriplegias on our website each month.  This month, we want to highlight the ABILITY JOB FAIR, which is holding an online video career fair specifically for individuals with disabilities.  The ABILITY JOB FAIR takes place on Thursday, October 25, 2018 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm Eastern and will include employers such as Facebook Careers, Waste Management and abilityjobs.com. If you would like to sign up or learn more about this online job fair, visit https://abilityjobfair.org/.

The event is part of the abilityJOBS, a website dedicated to connecting recruiters with individuals with disabilities.  If you cannot attend the online job fair, but you would still like to explore job opportunities for individual with quadriplegias, https://abilityjobs.com/ is another great resource to consider!

Accessibility Services, Inc. specializes in individual with quadriplegia assistive technologies designed to help individuals achieve independence.  Our signature autonoME is an environmental control unit (ECU) and speech generating device (SGD) combined into one convenient package.  Since every disability is different, we design a custom environmental control unit with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) capabilities to fit each individual we serve.  One of the most popular features of the autonoME is its ability to accommodate different input methods such as touch, voice, sip and puff, eye gaze and head tracking.

ECU devices have revolutionized the way individual with quadriplegias interact with their surroundings.  The autonoME is especially popular with job seekers because of its ability to not only help individuals control their environment but communicate as well.  We encourage the individual with quadriplegias we serve to check out the abilityJOBS website to learn more about how they can connect you with potential employers and help you find an enjoyable, fulfilling career.

Adaptive Equipment for Individual with Quadriplegias Can Make The Impossible Possible

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environmental control units

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) has been on the forefront of providing communication devices for individual with quadriplegias and environmental control units for disabled individuals for more than two decades.  We have witnessed first-hand how advances in technology have made the difference in the lives of individual with quadriplegias and their families.

While we focus primarily on environmental control units and speech generating devices, other types of adaptive equipment for individual with quadriplegias have also helped make the impossible possible.  Check out this story of a individual with quadriplegia who broke his neck in an accident 15 years ago.  Pieter du Preez from Johannesburg is completely paralyzed below the chest, and can only move his wrists, biceps and shoulder.  Yet, he has secured a sponsorship from Isuzu Motors South Africa to participate in the Isuzu IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship:

https://www.rnews.co.za/article/21550/individual with quadriplegia-athlete-warms-up-for-isuzu-ironman-70-3-world-championship

It is important to note that du Preez is not participating in an event for persons with quadriplegia; the Isuzu IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship is a full Ironman competition with no separate category for individual with quadriplegias.

ASI believes in inspiring and empowering individuals with spinal cord injuries and debilitating diseases to pursue their goals and dreams.  We don’t take a cookie-cutter approach when it comes to helping individual with quadriplegias achieve independence.  We customize our environmental control units and speech generating devices to accommodate each individual’s unique needs.

ASI salutes brave individuals such as du Preez who serve as role models and are living proof that even the impossible is sometimes possible.  Contact ASI today to learn more about how you, too, can achieve the independence to pursue your lifelong dreams.

Jobs for Individual with Quadriplegias – Researcher

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jobs for individual with quadriplegias

Job opportunities for individual with quadriplegias are plentiful if you know what you are looking for and where to look.  Accessibility Services, Inc. takes time to feature different jobs for individual with quadriplegias in hopes of helping you or your loved one explore different career opportunities.

This month, we are featuring the position of researcher.  What makes this job so attractive is there are vast areas and opportunities you can consider.  Stephen Hawking, for example, was one of the world’s most prolific scientific researchers.  There are also opportunities for research in the medical and mathematics fields.  Website developers often employ research assistants when developing fact-based websites.  And, media professionals need extensive research when working on in-depth articles and feature stories.  The list is almost endless!

Assistive technology for individual with quadriplegias – including the autonoME environmental control unit / speech generating device – makes it possible for individuals with varying levels of disability to complete research projects.  Research often involves digging through published articles and publications, as well as developing and initiating case studies and surveys, all of which can be completed via the Internet.

If you or someone you love are a individual with quadriplegia due to injury or progressive disease, it’s important to remember that there are resources that can help you achieve independence and lead a full life.  Are you a individual with quadriplegia who is successfully employed in a research job?  If so, we would love to hear your story!

“Start with the customer and work backwards.”

Fred Thompson

See why clients, therapists, and caregivers choose Accessibility Services for their Environmental Control and Communication needs.

Accessibility Services

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