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Tags Posts tagged with "assistive technology"

assistive technology

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Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash

The Arc of Philadelphia, KenCrest, PA Representative Joe Hohenstein, and Temple University’s Institute on Disabilities present the 2022 Disability Summit, focused on Enabling Technology.

Join the Philadelphia Disability Summit on September 22! This year’s conference highlights enabling and assistive technologies as well as the many adaptations and smart devices — creating greater accessibility for people with disabilities throughout the world. Join the speakers and presenters for a day-long conference held on Temple University’s campus, featuring a keynote address by Dr. Shea Tanis, Associate Research Professor at the Kansas University Center on Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, along with breakout tracks from various leaders in the ET field, and a public legislative hearing on assistive and enabling tech.

Learn more and register here.
Have questions? Contact KenCrest for details.

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Message from RCPA member PATF:

Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) recently hosted a round table event with Congresswoman Madeleine Dean and several of our borrowers and partners to discuss the importance of PATF’s programs — information about assistive technology (AT), funding resources, financial education, and the loan programs!

We heard how PATF’s loan programs make it possible for people to get the AT they need. We also heard from several partners about how they use our other publications, including Smart Homes Made Simple and financial education curriculum.

Attendee Paul Gordon is a social worker and a wheelchair user. He spoke with Rep. Dean about how he benefitted from PATF’s services.

Paul needed to replace his van’s wheelchair lift so that he could continue to travel to work. With funding from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and a loan from PATF, he was able to get a wheelchair lift installed in his van.

“Given the excellent condition of my van, replacing the wheelchair lift will provide years of service without having to purchase a new vehicle. This is a much more affordable option for me,” said Gordon.

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Message from RCPA Member Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF):

We are so excited to announce that Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF) has helped a record number of people with our low- and no-interest loan programs, our information and assistance services, and our financial education resources.

Of note, after we increased the lending cap on our Mini-Loan program from $2,000 to $7,000, this program grew by 151%! (see below: 2021 by the Numbers) 

And it doesn’t stop there! We published Smart Homes Made Simple: Your Guide to Smart Home Technology and launched SmartHomesMadeSimple to help the disability community learn about mainstream smart home devices and how they can be financed.

In March of this year, PATF hosted a smart home webinar with more than 500 attendees from around the world!

We are proud to share our organization’s growth over the last year, in which assistive technology (AT) was critical, to support people with disabilities and older adults stay safe, healthy, and connected to our community.

Read PATF’s Impact Report.

With your unwavering support – our donors, borrowers, partners, families and friends – we were able to expand and create new programs to help people with disabilities and older Pennsylvanians live more independently. Thank you!

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With the staffing crisis showing no signs of easing, the need for help supporting the Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled community has never been more acute. SafeinHome has numerous tools to help enhance independence and self-direction while helping to ease staffing shortages. David Thom, Account Executive in the Philadelphia Region, has scheduled drop-in hours for the next few weeks to discuss how Remote Supports (RS) and Assistive Technology (AT) can help the people we all serve.

SafeinHome invites you to learn about their Remote Supports and Assistive Technology during office hours at the following times via Zoom or Teams. Whether you’d like to talk about a specific individual, or just discuss Remote Supports and Assistive Technology in general, please feel free to join the office hours or reach out any time via the contact information below:

Tara Harmening, Southwestern PA, 724-433-9401
Every Tuesday 10:00 am–11:00 am through 3-15-22
Visit here to join the meeting.

Season Jackson, Northeastern PA, 570-840-2240
Every Thursday 9:00 am–10 am through 3-24-22
Visit here to join the meeting.

Christina Romel, Western PA, 412-779-3100
Every Tuesday 11:00 am–12:00 pm
Visit here to join the Zoom meeting.

Kristie Ondisco, Central PA, 570-640-0663
Every two weeks on Wednesdays 1:00 pm–2:00 pm, starting 3-23-22 to 4-20-22.
Visit here to join the meeting.

David Thom, Southeastern PA, 510-333-4909

Visit SafeinHome’s website for more details.

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Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

The Office of Developmental Programs invites you to save the date for the 2022 Virtual Everyday Lives Conference. The Everyday Lives Conference is a statewide event that presents pertinent information to individuals with a disability and/or autism, their families, and the professionals that support them in an effort to empower individuals to live their ideal everyday life.

Read the full article, including dates of the events.

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Changes to the Remote Supports Component of Assistive Technology in the Consolidated, Community Living and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) Waivers

ODP Announcement 21-094 notifies interested parties of changes to Remote Supports in the most recently approved waiver amendments, including the requirement to complete the Variance Form (DP 1086) when an individual needs more than $5,000 of Remote Supports per fiscal year.

Amendments to the Consolidated, Community Living, and P/FDS Waivers approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) effective November 22, 2021, contain changes to Remote Supports which are a component of the Assistive Technology service (all requirements contained in the waivers prior to the amendments continue to apply). The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has updated Variance Form DP 1086 and the related instructions originally found in Bulletin 00-18-06, Variance Form and Process, to reflect the requirements for intensive remote supports in these amendments.

ODP is holding a webinar on February 16, 2022, from 10:00 am–11:00 am to discuss requirements and best practices for the Remote Supports component of Assistive Technology in the Consolidated, Community Living and P/FDS waivers. The date, time, and link for registration to attend the webinar can be found here.

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ODP Announcement 21-090 is to provide guidance to licensees that operate Community Homes for Individuals with an Intellectual Disability or Autism, licensees that operate Life Sharing Homes, ODP-enrolled providers of licensed or unlicensed Residential Habilitation, ODP-enrolled providers of licensed or unlicensed Life Sharing, and/or ODP-enrolled Supported Living providers (“Providers”). This guidance is about the use of assistive technology and remote supports to achieve individual’s goals and outcomes while balancing the benefits of technology use with the requirement to protect each individual’s right to privacy.

ODP has developed a Residential Technology Evaluation Tool to assist providers in determining whether a privacy violation will or may occur. The tool is not a required form, although ODP strongly recommends its use. Providers may develop their own tool to determine whether a privacy violation will or may occur.

ODP is holding a webinar to discuss requirements and best practices for the use of assistive technology and remote supports in residential settings. The date, time, and link for registration to attend the webinar are as follows:

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