Overview
By 2020, 77 million
people will be 60 and older in the U.S. Are you ready to support the needs of
aging adults in your community? When possible, aging-in-place offers the most
economical option for senior living based on the availability and cost of
senior living communities and facilities. In order to support successful
aging-in-place goals, individuals, caregivers and the professionals that serve
them need to understand the role of assistive technology in this process.
Assistive Technology goes far beyond the scope of durable medical equipment and
a more complete understanding of the benefits of non-medical assistive
technology imperative to successful support of aging-in-place goals. This
session will explore six categories of assistive technology, discuss best
practices for successful identification and implementation of the appropriate
assistive technology system to support an individual’s independence and quality
of life as they age, and consider case studies to support these practices.
Learning Objectives
- Describe three categories of assistive technology that can improve quality of life for aging adults.
- Identify three ways that smart devices can support aging in place and independence for aging adults and individuals with impairments and provide two examples of devices that can be controlled with smart systems.
- Identify five phases in the process for using the HAAT model for successful assistive technology system development.
AT for Physical Access and Participation
Target Audience
Accessibility Professional; AT Specialists; Caregivers; Consumers/Individuals with Disabilities; Consultants/Trainers; Disability Services; Family Members; Occupational Therapists; Physical Therapists; Rehab Therapists; Speech-Language Pathologists
Experience Level
Introductory
Content Area
Professional Area
ATIA 2020 Conference Recording
This course was given at the ATIA 2020 Conference on Thursday, January 30, 2020 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Continuing Education Credits
For Satisfactory Completion and Continuing Education information, please visit: ATIA Online Education CEUs
This course is offered for the following CE Provider Credits:
ACVREP (General & ATBVI); AOTA; IACET
For: 0.1 CEU Units.
Start date of ASHA CEUs offering: April 1, 2020. This course was offered for 0.1 ASHA CEUs (Introductory level, Professional area).
End date of ASHA CEUs offering: May 31, 2023
Speaker/s:
Meaghan Walls
Assistology
Meaghan Walls is the President and CEO of Assistology, LLC, in Omaha, Nebraska which provides Assistive Technology (AT), Rehab Engineering and Universal Design consultation services to help individuals reach their goals and help businesses increase their ability to create inclusive spaces, services, products and practices.
Meaghan is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the Department of Gerontology where she developed and taught an interdisciplinary course on Rehabilitative Design. She is a two time co-presenter at AIA regional conferences speaking on Considering the Human Experience in Design. Additionally, she has frequently been requested to provide guest lectures on Assistive Technology and Inclusive Product Design at a variety of college programs, including UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Center) Department of Physical Therapy; College of Saint Mary Department of Occupational Therapy; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Mechanical Engineering. She is the Accessibility and Inclusive Design Consultant for the Omaha Chamber of Commerce CODE Coalition Diversity and Inclusion Conference.
Previously, Meaghan served as Director of Rehabilitation Services at Children’s Respite Care Center in Omaha. Her career also includes positions as a Biomedical Sales Engineer at ADInstruments in Boston, and as an Assistive Technology Specialist, Assistive Technology Regional Center Coordinator, project leader and researcher for Easter Seals Massachusetts.
Meaghan is a certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) who holds a MS in Bioengineering with an emphasis on Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology from the University of Illinois-Chicago under a 2 year Rehab Technology Fellowship. She earned a BS in Mathematics with a minor in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana.
As part of my role as a business owner, my financial and non-financial relationships are that I am a contract consultant, private pay service provider, an Ablenet vendor representative and industry partner with Metro Community College in Omaha, NE.
Relevant Financial Relationship: Yes
As a consultant my relevant financial disclosures are related to consultant fees for projects, payment for adjunct teaching and institutional relationships that result in consultant fees. I have retained IP rights for all projects to date. Institutional relationships resulting in financial gain include: Metro Community College, United Cerebral Palsy of NE, The Madonna School, University of NE Medical Center/MMI, Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, University of NE - Omaha, Koley Jessen, Educational Service Unit 3, Mosaic, Vodec and King Science Technology Magnet.
Relevant Non-Financial Relationship: Yes I sit on the Mayor's Commission for Citizens with Disabilities; am part of the planning committee for the Dementia Care Conference; am Board President for Angel Guardians, Inc.; am an Educational partner with Home Instead; am Co-founder of Imaging Inclusion, Inc.; actively blog and have personal relationships with individuals impacted by disability.