Thanks to the volunteer with the Accessible Technology Coalition for compiling this listing of free webinars from around the web! Follow the ATC Facebook page for late additions.Note: pre-registration is sometimes required. All are one hour unless otherwise noted.
Options for Independent Living, a WisTech partner, is expanding Adaptive Adventures with funding from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and the Administration for Community Living (ACL).
Action Trackchairs and a Firefly wheelchair attachment power happy explorers at a Northern Adventures event in Wisconsin.
“The ability to connect people with recreational adaptive equipment, events, and other people with shared lived experiences has been an incredible addition to our organization.”
Calvin Richtig, AT Specialist, Options for Independent Living
Last February, Options for Independent Living in Green Bay, a longstanding partner of WisTech (the Wisconsin AT Act Program), received a $25,000 “Direct Effect Quality of Life Grant” from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. At the recommendation of WisTech, Options applied for the grant to expand the recreation equipment offerings of the assistive technology (AT) short-term device loan program.
“Over the past few years, we have explored the community’s interest in adaptive recreation and found it to be an area of great interest due to a lack of opportunity and awareness,” explains Calvin Richtig, AT Specialist at Options.
It was funding that presented the biggest hurdle.
In response, Options partnered locally with individuals and organizations to raise money for an Action Trackchair and a Firefly electric scooter wheelchair attachment. These devices made such a dramatic difference for device borrowers that adapted recreation soon became a priority area for the expansion of the AT device loan program.
The Action Trackchair bringing smiles in rural Wisconsin.
One eleven-year-old boy and his father borrowed the Action Trackchair for a camping and hiking expedition in rural Wisconsin, WisTech reported to AT3 Center. This trip was the first time the boy had fully accessed the outdoors without his father carrying him through the woods. He independently navigated hills, rocky terrain, and wet areas, ultimately traveling five miles over four hours on a Saturday. “The [Action Trackchair] is so important for our family. I cannot thank you enough for the work you are doing to change lives across our area,” his father wrote Options.
Now, with Reeve Foundation funding, Options has acquired an ICE Adventure HD 26RS Trike with power assist and a transport trailer. This supportive recumbent trike offers excellent stability and a foot-driven pedal system with five levels of electronic assist. “The trike can even pedal itself for up to thirty miles,” Richtig says. (The ICE website offers alluring videos of serene rides that appear to take place somewhere in the UK.)
A happy cyclist takes the ICE trike for a ride.
It’s remarkable to see these cutting-edge devices listed alongside playing card holders and fishing rod attachments on the WisTech AT4All device loan inventory. But there they are. In accordance with the goals of the AT Act, anyone can borrow equipment within the service area of their AT Act Program (at no cost or a nominal fee) and make an otherwise unachievable adventure possible in the great outdoors. (Options serves 17 counties in northeastern Wisconsin; WisTech partners with additional Centers for Independent Living to serve the rest of the state.)
Success stories are mounting. Although the program is in its infancy, Richtig says Options now provides 5-10 people each month a better way to get outside. One borrower biked over ten miles around the lake he’s lived on for fifteen years; he’d yet to exceed two miles using his standard recumbent trike. Another explored the forests and trails that he hadn’t accessed since the passing of his wife, twenty years prior. “That ride provided him with so many smiles and happy tears that he opted to purchase his own Trackchair,” Richtig says. Then there’s the man who developed a new routine using a Firefly on his manual wheelchair to ride ten miles alongside his teenage son. “A daredevil bond,” the man called it.
An Options trained AT professional sets up the equipment with each borrower. Safety equipment is provided and there’s an enclosed trailer that’s also available to borrow, so users can take the equipment wherever they want to achieve their recreation goals. Loan periods for this equipment are two weeks at a time.
“The ability to connect people with recreational adaptive equipment, events, and other people with shared lived experiences has been an incredible addition to our organization,” Richtig says. “Adaptive Adventures, with help from the Reeve Foundation, has been a way to expand our AT program and re-energize our organization, something we are always looking to do.”
Could music make a difference for someone you love? #AlzheimersBrainAwarenessMonth
Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, often does not affect the areas of the brain that hold music. This phenomenon opens a way for individuals living with Alzheimer’s to connect with the past, enjoy the present, and even continue their musicianship for years after diagnosis. In August of 2021, Tony Bennet and Lady Gaga performed together on the stage of Radio City Music Hall in New York City over two evenings to sold-out crowds. Bennet has had an Alzheimer’s diagnosis since 2016.
Music can help relieve stress and reduce anxiety, depression, and agitation. It can also be a boon for caregivers by facilitating connection, joy, and communication. For this reason, AT3 Center News and Tips was interested to learn of a new service in the iTunes Apps store that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to select music for adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Also discussed here is a radio uniquely designed for persons with dementia and an album of original 40s-style music created by two older adults for older adult listeners (dementia not required!)
Vera uses AI to identify songs and create unique playlists for relaxing, reminiscing, and getting active. (Yes, it’s a lot like having a specialized Spotify.)
Using the Vera app, caregivers create a profile for their listener (or multiple profiles for different listeners, depending on what level of Vera service they subscribe to). The profile uses information such as age, where the listener lived for different periods of their life, and known music preferences. Vera uses this information to suggest songs and the caregiver notes reactions with “Like” or “Remove” to help the app target preferences.
Vera touts its algorithm for identifying music with the most nostalgic appeal, often songs the listener had long forgotten and is delighted to rediscover. The app is designed to be used as a behavior management aid, and the video on Vera’s website provides testimony from a long-term care residence in Australia of its powerful positive results for both caregivers and residents. The playlists are scheduled for specific activities or moments throughout the day. (The Vera video is very compelling!)
Vera’s most impressive feature may be the size and global nature of its music library. It boasts over 250,000 non-English songs in 100 languages and targets song choices based on developmentally significant stages of a person’s life. Did the listener grow up in India and then move to Wales at midlife? Vera has them covered. Learn how to make the most out of Vera.
(The concept is reminiscent of the stationary bicycle exhibited at ATIA several years ago that made use of Google Earth. The user peddles toward a screen that gives the effect of traveling in a location of their choosing, such as a street from their hometown… anywhere on Earth.)
Vera is available for iPhone and iPad in the Apps store for $9.99/mo. for 12 months. Vera Pro is geared to professional caregivers with more than one client and runs $20/mo. (There is also a Vera Enterprise for long-term care facilities.)
The Relish Radio is designed to be operated by listeners with dementia and does not connect to the internet or subscription music services.
The radio has a hidden digital tuner (under the top panel) where the caregiver selects and programs radio station pre-sets for easy selection from the top of the console. Four tactile arrow buttons can be labeled with words meaningful to the user (Jazz? Gospel? Pop?) The fourth arrow can play MP3s from a thumb drive (installed inside the console). This way, users can have access to their own playlist.
The radio also has an old-fashioned knob for volume, and the lowest position does not turn it off entirely so that users know the unit is still on. Clear tactile on and off buttons are also provided. Relish Radio sells for $149.99 on Amazon (as of this writing). Also, check out this One Button Radio on Amazon for $129.00
Senior Songbook: Melodies That Transport You–Lyrics That Move You are tracks that sound like they’re from the 40s but were written in 2020. Alan Tripp, at age 102, and Marvin Weisbord, at age 89, self-published an album geared for older adults, filling a gap they saw in the music universe. Tripp and Weisbord met in their assisted living residence in Bryn Mawr, PA. Tripp wrote the lyrics, and Weisbord, a jazz pianist, the music. Together they had a late-in-life 15 minutes of stardom (check out their appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show). The songs reflect on growing older.
I know I’m mad about you, And all but lost without you, And great affection for you I proclaim. I’m ready now to kiss you, But, baby, there’s an issue – I just can’t remember your name.
Chorus to “I Just Can’t Remember Your Name.”
Tripp was the driving force (and passed away during the pandemic at age 104). Weisbord is still playing his piano for their community. Check out the Senior Songbook’s ten tracks for $9.99. (Yes, they’re on Spotify, too.)
Learn how ND Assistive helped a family overcome pandemic visiting restrictions and save their mom’s life!
“My mother was wilting like a flower without water.”
Rhonda in North Dakota
Rhonda came to North Dakota Assistive’s AT Demonstration Center in Bismarck concerned about her mother, Carol. Carol has mobility and fine motor impairments and is unable to use a touch screen or a standard telephone. Before the pandemic, Rhonda was used to visiting her mother at her long-term care facility after work each day, and Carol looked forward to seeing her. Then the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to their routine.
Since Carol cannot independently use a telephone or tablet computer, she became dependent on staff members to facilitate FaceTime using equipment shared at the residence. The visits were not as frequent, and when mother and daughter did connect, the strain caused by visiting restrictions was increasingly obvious. Rhonda watched as her mother grew depressed and heard her voice drain of spirit. She told staff at ND Assistive, “I think she’s losing her will to live. We’re going to lose my mom, and I can’t even be there to see her.”
Rhonda and her brother found ND Assistive while searching for an accessible phone. The Assistive Technology Act of 2004 ensures that every state and territory has an AT Act Program, a place to go to see and learn about devices that can make a difference for individuals with disabilities and older adults. AT Act Programs have knowledgeable staff who meet with visitors, discuss needs and abilities and demonstrate equipment free of charge. They also provide short-term loans of equipment for free or a nominal fee. ND Assistive is among the AT Act Programs that additionally provide Telecommunications Equipment Distribution (TED) services, which pays for specialized telecommunications equipment for persons with qualifying disabilities. (Find your TED services program.)
Carol visits virtually with Rhonda.
At the AT Center in Bismarck, AT Consultant Annette Goehring listened to Rhonda explain Carol’s needs and abilities. “I said, how about something she doesn’t have to pick up to answer? How about something where she can actually see you, and you can see her?” Annette demonstrated the Amazon Echo Show and used the Center’s to “drop-in” on another office so Rhonda could see how it worked.
The Echo Show is a smart speaker with a video display that may connect to other Amazon device users for communication. The “drop-in” feature allows the device to automatically answer video calls from permitted contacts, hands-free by the receiver. Drop-in is especially helpful for individuals with mobility and/or cognitive issues that make answering calls difficult. The video function can be shut off with the touch of a button during personal care to ensure privacy.
Rhonda thought the “drop-in” feature was the right fit for their circumstances, so ND Assistive helped Carol acquire an Echo Show at no charge through TED services. Annette also helped Rhonda set up the device. When Rhonda took it to Carol’s residence, all they had to do was plug it in and connect it to Wi-Fi. “She didn’t have to pay for a phone line because she was able to use the Wi-Fi there,” Annette emphasizes (another expense saved). The TED program also pays for accessories, and Carol acquired a stand for her Echo Show so it could swivel out of the way and also tilt for the best angle for bedside viewing.
Rhonda has used the Echo Show to resume her visiting routine after work each day. Carol’s son and granddaughter also drop by, and since three-way calling is available, sometimes they are together. “You guys are really saving lives!” Rhonda told ND Assistive. “This Echo Show has been a lifesaver for our family during the pandemic this past year. It literally has saved my mother’s life. She has perked up. She was like a flower that hadn’t been watered.”
New research highlights the risks of video conferencing and inspires this latest AT3 Center Issue Brief.
What Is “Zoom Fatigue?”
Video meeting fatigue, a.k.a. “Zoom Fatigue,” is the mental and physical strain experienced after too many video meetings. The term became popular during the COVID-19 lockdowns when workplaces went virtual almost overnight (and Zoom went from 10 million meeting participants per day to 300 million!) Since then, there have been sporadic studies and mainstream media attention paid to the impact of spending more and more time in video meetings. The developing consensus is that while remote video technologies are celebrated for maintaining social and professional connections, the prioritizing of remote face-to-face communication comes with its own risks.
Microsoft began studying remote collaboration before the pandemic and reported results from their Human Factor’s Lab in 2020. According to Microsoft’s research, “Brainwave patterns associated with stress and overwork were much higher when collaborating remotely than in-person.” That conclusion corroborates the findings of Jeffrey Hall, a professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, who reports texts, social media, phone calls, and in-person communication are less taxing than video meetings. Among the stressors, Hall notes, are internet speed delays and watching yourself speak. In 2020, the Harvard Business Review blog weighed in, “On a video call the only way to show we’re paying attention is to look at the camera. But, in real life, how often do you stand within three feet of a colleague and stare at their face?”
The Latest Data
Video meeting fatigue is back in the news thanks to a global survey released by Dimensional Research in May of 2022 (“The Data Behind Video Meeting Fatigue and How to Combat It”). Sponsored by WebEx, the study reports that 80% of executives and knowledge professionals attending video meetings end their day with physical ailments, and 95% experience “video meeting fatigue.”
Tips for Preventing Pain and Fatigue From Video Meetings
Below are strategies for preventing Zoom fatigue that incorporate new findings and some tried-and-true healthy workstation practices (which AT3 Center finds are entirely neglected by these reports).
Adapt Workplace Culture
Foster a workplace that acknowledges Zoom fatigue and makes room for individualized solutions. As every AT service provider knows, there is rarely one solution that fits all.
Be mindful of your new colleagues. Recent hires will experience Zoom fatigue more intensely than colleagues who know your workplace and one another well. “Higher levels of group belongingness are the most consistent protective factor against videoconference fatigue,” finds the authors of a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2021.
Encourage the use of phone calls when videoconferencing is unnecessary. Ask yourself, do I need to send a Zoom invite?
Plan Breaks
Look at least 20 feet in the distance for a minimum of 20 seconds every 20 minutes to reduce eyestrain (recommends the Cornell University Ergonomics Web).
Limit video meetings to 30 minutes whenever possible. Microsoft found fatigue begins to set in between 30-40 minutes. Build small breaks into longer sessions.
Take longer breaks from video at least once every two hours (which is when Microsoft found that stress arrives). The cumulative effect of screen time may exacerbate Zoom fatigue. Take time every day that you’re not looking at a screen.
Adjust Your Technology
Learn features and controls of your video conferencing software. Video meetings are easier on everyone when participants know how to practice Zoom etiquette.
Make camera use optional. Maintaining “the gaze” is fatiguing for many.
Mute your mic. One study found that silencing the mic was important for reducing fatigue.
Hide “self view” to avoid being distracted or disconcerted by the mirrored image of your face.
Avoid multitasking. It leads to scattered thinking, less mindfulness, and more fatigue.
Remember Workstation Ergonomics
Review the Cornell University Ergonomic Workstation Advisor. Most of the video conference attendees WebEx studied were using laptops. 80% reported ending their day with pain, including 37% with neck and shoulder pain and 31% with headaches and eye strain or blurry vision. The Advisor is a workstation checklist that recommends proper positioning as well as movement and breaks needed to reduce fatigue and eye strain.
Looking Ahead
Conventional video conferencing may phase out in favor of XR (“extended reality”), which includes augmented, virtual, and mixed reality meeting technologies. While hailed for offering a sense of togetherness, XR can mean a shift to visually complex and multidimensional spaces. It remains to be seen how taxing or rewarding these are for individual users, but workplaces should be sensitive to potential XR hazards, particularly for users with disabilities.
Reminder: the AT3 Center and the Administration on Community Living (ACL) make no endorsement, representation, or warranty expressed or implied for any product, device, or information set forth in this newsletter. AT3 Center and ACL have not examined, reviewed, or tested any product or device referred to in this newsletter.
