VA Updates

Veterans with ALS and MS

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environmental control units

When we think of veterans with disabilities, spinal cord injuries are often top of mind.  However, there are several debilitating diseases that affect veterans as well. According the ALS Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a service-connected disease.  Additionally, the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) says that one in four of their members has multiple sclerosis (MS).

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) was founded more than 30 years ago to provide reliable custom environmental control unit/speech generating device solutions to members of the military and veterans with severe spinal cord injuries.  We have since expanded our focus, so, in addition to providing assistive technology for quadriplegics, Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) also serves individuals with debilitating diseases such as ALS and MS.

Veterans with a qualifying disability or disease may be eligible to receive our autonoME Residential environmental control units through the Veterans Administration (VA). Our autonoME is a custom environmental control unit that includes integrated voice assistive technology.  In a nutshell, it is an ECU with MS/ALS communication capabilities that can be customized based on disease progression. If you are a veteran who has been diagnosed with MS, ALS or another debilitating disease or disability, then we encourage you to contact your VA representative to see if you qualify to receive one of our autonoME Residential ECU devices with integrated voice assistive technology features.

One of the most attractive and beneficial aspects of our autonoME is the initial setup and ongoing technical support.  We will send a technician out to your home to install and configure your autonoME. The autonoME features a user-friendly interface that both caregivers and users appreciate.  Should you have any additional questions, our technical support team is just a phone call away.  When you call for technical support, you actually talk with someone in our office – not a call center!

Would you like to learn more about how the autonoME can improve quality of life for you or a loved one?  If so, give us a call to learn more today!

Quality of Life Grants Provide Financial Assistance to Organizations and Hospitals Serving Individuals with Severe Disabilities

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assistive technology for quadriplegics

Did you know your facility or organization could qualify for a quality of life grant to help you purchase the autonoME Hospital ECU system and/or the autonoMEgo for the patients you serve?  In fact, Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) has worked with two facilities who have applied for quality of life grants to help fund their autonoME ECU in hospital devices.

If you represent and organization or facility that provides assistive technology for quadriplegics and individuals with debilitating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and wish to implement the autonoME Hospital ECU or portable autonoMEgo, then consider applying for a quality of life grant to help offset some of the cost. Examples of quality of life grants include those offered by the Christopher and Dana Reeves Foundation and Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.

The autonoME Hospital is the world’s first device offering both augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and environmental control tools while seamlessly incorporating all available adaptive access methods and providing a fully integrated television experience. The autonoME Hospital features a single 22” all-in-one monitor specially designed for hospitals, spinal cord injury units and rehabilitation facilities.

ASI has been a leading provider of custom environmental control unit/speech generating device solutions for individuals with the severest of disabilities for more than three decades. If you have not considered an autonoME in the past, we encourage you to schedule a complimentary demonstration with one of our product representatives today.

Veterans and ALS

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Veterans and ALS

As we have discussed in a previous article, those who have served in the military appear to be at a higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  Additional studies point to the possibility that military veterans with the ALS may live longer than the average life expectancy of someone diagnosed with the disease (long-duration ALS).  The study also found that veterans with long-duration ALS experienced onset at a younger age, tended to experience slower initial progression, and took longer to diagnose.

Read the Full Study

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) was founded by Fred Thompson in 1991 with the primary mission to help veterans.  ASI has been on the forefront of developing assistive technology for quadriplegics and individuals with debilitating diseases such as ALS for nearly three decades.  Our proprietary autonoME is one of the most popular tools for quadriplegics and those with ALS because it is a combined custom environmental control unit/speech generating device.  Advanced voice assistive technology features such as voice banking and full augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) make it a much sought after ALS communication device.

Although we have expanded our reach over the years, we still take our commitment to military veterans very seriously.  Not only do we employ many veterans, but we have installed our autonoME in Veteran’s Administration (VA) spinal cord injury units and have also worked with veteran’s who qualify to receive the autonoME through their VA benefits.

If you or a loved one is a veteran who has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), be sure to talk to your local VA representative about the autonoME. Give us a call to learn more today!

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Military Veterans

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) is not only proud to serve veterans, but many of our staff are veterans.  Our Founder, Fred Thompson, founded ASI in 1991 with a primary mission to help veterans.  Although our reach has expanded well beyond that market, veterans are still the core of what we do and large part of the population we serve.

Research by the Defense Health Research Program expands on the connection between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and military veterans (Read the ALS Association summary of the report.)  In a nutshell, veterans appear to be at an increased risk of developing ALS, regardless of branch of service.  Although research is still underway to identify possible ways in which amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is connected to serving in the military, factors that may contribute to increased risk in veterans include exposure to lead, pesticides or other environmental contacts, use of tobacco or alcohol or extreme physical exertion. The Veterans Administration (VA) has designated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as a service connected disease.

An ALS communication device and ALS assistive technology can help ease the burden of this devastating disease. ASI is a leader in ALS assistive technology and our proprietary autonoME is covered by the VA. The autonoME is more than just an ALS communication device. It is an integrated environmental control unit (ECU) and speech generating device with full augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) features.  The autonoME has been transforming the lives of veteran’s with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and other service connected illnesses/injuries for nearly a decade.

Although there is not a cure yet, we can provide a better quality of life until one is found.

Veterans diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can talk with their local VA representative about acquiring an autonoME.

Veterans Administration Launches “Access and Quality in VA Healthcare” Website

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If you or someone you love is a veteran, the Veterans Administration (VA) has recently launched a new website you will definitely want to check out:

Access and Quality in VA Healthcare

When you land on the website home page, you will find four areas:

  1. How Quickly Can My VA Facility See Me?

Click on this area to determine how quickly you can be seen at a particular VA clinic and to explore same-day services and other healthcare options. You can then access a map which allows you to input your address/location, radius you are able to travel for care, clinic type (i.e. primary care, women’s health, etc.) and visit type.  You can then conduct a search to see appointment wait times at facilities within your search radius. If you have an urgent need, you can use the Same Day Health Services map to explore options.

  1. How Satisfied Are Veterans with Their Care in My Facility?

This function allows you to search VA facilities within a certain radius to see what other veterans are saying about access to care.

  1. How Does Care in My VA Facility Compare to Other Hospital in the Area?

This section allows you to compare VA facilities with hospitals located within the same general geographical area.

  1. How is the VA System Doing with Access Nationally?

Review the latest statistics on how timely care is within the VA system and how quickly a patient can be seen by a specialist in the VA system.

Accessibility Services, Inc. is proud to work with the VA to provide qualifying veteran’s – both at home and in VA spinal cord injury units – with the autonoME environmental control unit/speech generating device. Robert Oxford is just one of the hundreds of veterans who have benefited from receiving the autonoME through the VA. Watch his story.

Veterans Administration Benefits

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Veterans Administration BenefitsVeterans with qualifying disabilities may be eligible to receive the autonoME environmental control unit/speech generating device free of charge through the Veterans Administration (VA).  In fact, we have customized and installed the autonoME in the homes of hundreds of veterans.

The autonoME is specifically designed for individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and quadriplegics as well as individuals with debilitating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).  It allows individuals to completely control their environment (i.e. turn on fan/lights, control their bed, television and telephone, call a nurse or caregiver, open a door, use a computer, etc.).  Each autonoME is customized for the client and can be operated using a number of technologies.  For instance, the autonoME can be equipped so non-verbal individuals can control the unit using their eyes, etc.

When you receive your autonoME, you are not on your own to figure it out.  We understand everyone has different needs, so we send a technician to your home to customize and install the package and work with you and your caregiver on how to utilize its features.  We also provide ongoing customer support, which we personally handle. If you or a loved one are a quadriplegic, have a brain or spinal cord injury or disease such as ALS, talk with your VA representative to see what benefits you may qualify to receive.

The VA also publishes an online guide, Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors. It is well worth checking out!

Disabled Veterans Continue to Gain Independence Through Assistive Technology

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Accessibility Services, Inc. Awarded New Contract to Equip VA Hospitals with the autonoME Environmental Control/Speech Generation Package

Disabled Veterans Continue to Gain Independence Through Assistive Technology 2
Disabled Veterans Continue to Gain Independence Through Assistive Technology 2
Disabled Veterans Continue to Gain Independence Through Assistive Technology 1
Disabled Veterans Continue to Gain Independence Through Assistive Technology 1

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) in Homosassa, Florida announced that they have been awarded a new Veterans Administration (VA) contract to equip spinal cord injury units with their signature autonoME environmental control unit (ECU) / speech generating device (SGD) package. The autonoME – specifically designed for quadriplegics and individuals with debilitating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – allows individuals to completely control their environment (i.e. turn on fan/lights, control their bed, television and telephone, call a nurse or caregiver, open a door, use a computer, etc.) as well as generate speech.

The company has already installed hundreds of units in VA hospitals on a previous contract, including sites in Memphis, Houston, Cleveland, Dallas, Long Beach, San Antonio and Boston, among others.  ASI recently learned they have been awarded a new contract, allowing them to install and service the autonoME package in additional VA spinal cord injury units across the country. ASI also customizes and installs the autonoME in the homes of veterans with qualifying service-related disabilities.

“Our founder, Fred Thomson, founded ASI back in 1989 with a mission to help veterans,” explains Brice Green, Product and Sales Manager for ASI. “I myself am a veteran, and we employ many veterans.  What make us different is that we are continually conducting research and development to ensure we are delivering the latest technology. We also customize, install and support each autonoME package.  We spend time making sure the therapists, nurses, caregivers and patients understand how to use all of the features and are available to answer any questions and provide technical support after the installation is complete.  When someone calls us for support, they actually get one of our technicians, not a call center.”

According to Green, seeing people experience independence as a result of the autonoME is the most rewarding part of each day.

“We are touched by the stories and struggles of the brave people we meet,” says Green. “seeing a person’s face light up when we install the autonoME and knowing that we are making a difference in the lives of so many is the reason why we are in this business.”

ASI will proceed with installing the autonoME at specified VA hospitals throughout 2017.  The company also serves individuals living at home, rehabilitation facilities, and public and private hospital systems. Watch this 1.5 minute video to see how the autonoME is helping one veteran maintain his independence.

About Accessibility Services, Inc.
Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) is a leading provider of environmental control units (ECU’s) designed specifically for individuals with severe disabilities and spinal cord injuries. Founded in 1989 with a primary vision to help veterans, the company has since expanded its mission to address the needs of all severely disabled individuals with a special focus on the unique and exceptional needs of the quadriplegic community. ASI designs, customizes, installs and services ECU’s which enable clients to control their entire surroundings and environment, thus significantly increasing independence and improving quality of life. ASI’s proprietary autonoME unit has become one of the most popular hospital and residential devices on the market. Founder Fred Thompson’s philosophy, “we start with the customer and work backwards” has inspired ASI’s research and development engineers to stay one step ahead of technology, ensuring the company delivers the most advanced and progressive ECU solutions available.

VA Long Beach Opens Spinal Cord Injury Long Term Care Unit

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Congratulations to the VA Long Beach and Paralyzed Veterans of America on the opening of the new Spinal Cord Injury Long Term Care Unit. This high-tech facility is designed to provide veterans with spinal cord injuries permanent housing with specialized care and support. ASI is proud to be part of this exciting project!

Special thank you to Stephanie Rivera and the Long Beach Post for this great article:

Read on LBpost.com

 

“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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