Seeing the Beauty in Trying Something New
This story comes to us from Jenell Williams of Disability Network Oakland & Macomb: J. Thomas is very active in her community. She loves spending time with her family and friends. Most of all she loves her early mornings. In the morning she has her special routine where she fixes her breakfast and sits down…
Read MoreBack to School Assistive Technology
by Laura Hall, MATP staff This morning, I awoke to the sound of the school bus in my neighborhood. I knew my commute to work would begin to take longer as students now inhabit the city within the city that is Michigan State University. It’s back to school time, and we wanted to start the…
Read MoreMy Navigation Disability is a “Real Thing”
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff When I present about Assistive Technology (AT), I usually talk about some of AT that I personally use. One of my most used (and loved) AT is Global Positioning System or GPS . I have a disability that impacts my ability to navigate. When I walk, bike, drive,…
Read MoreThe Quest for Sleep
by Aimee Sterk, LMSW, MATP Staff I first wrote this piece in 2013 and have dug it up to share again in honor of my respiratory therapist, David Gritter, retiring. He actually retired in May, but I was on maternity leave so I’m sharing this in my first post since returning. Dave is among a…
Read MoreAT for Emergency Prep and Response: Overview of the Series
This is the first of a number of blog posts on keeping ourselves safe and enabling our return to normal when our lives are churned and overturned by emergencies and disasters. Although hurricanes and wildfires in the border states have gotten the most press coverage, the Midwest, including Michigan, have their share of regional emergencies…
Read MoreTiny Words on Thin Pages
A Demonstration and Short-Term Loan Story Mark served his community for years through his work as a substance abuse counselor, care worker for a residential facility, and mission work in a prison and drug rehabilitation center. His whole life he had been an avid reader of the bible. After losing a leg to diabetes as…
Read MoreKnow Your Voting Rights
The Michigan Primary Elections are taking place on August 7th and today is the final day to register to vote! Candidates for Governor, U.S. Congress, and state Senate and House members are among the important decisions on the ballot. If you haven’t registered already, you can still do so through the Secretary of State’s…
Read MoreAT for Frozen Treats in the Summer Heat!
By Jen Mullins, BS, CTRS, MATP Staff The weather where I live in lower Michigan has been fairly hot lately (or at least, hotter than I would like!) Frozen treats seem to help with cooling down, but sometimes aren’t the easiest to access. Typical ice cream scoops require a good amount of upper body strength,…
Read MoreDon’t Fail that Fall
by Aimee Sterk Did you know that one out of three adults age 65 and older fall each year? Disability.gov had such a great post about falls prevention, and safety, we wanted to share it here. Falls are the number one cause of fractures, hospital admissions for trauma, loss of independence and injury or deaths for…
Read More“Pawsatively” Helpful: AT for Dog Care
By Laura Hall, MATP Staff A few weeks ago, I attended a training that was more intense and grueling than any other training I’ve given or received, but the reward was life-changing. For two weeks I attended “Team Training” through Canine Companions for Independence to receive my second service dog. After working with many dogs…
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