Text Format Only

ICAN Awards Technology Grant to UCA

Increasing Capabilities Access Network (ICAN) has awarded a $95,000 grant to the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) for the purchase of assistive technology (AT) to be used to educate and train occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists.

ICAN is a federally funded program that operates under the umbrella of Arkansas Rehabilitation Services. The funds for ICAN come from the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-364). The purpose of the act is to support programs of grants to states to address the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities.

Assistive technology is defined as any item, piece of equipment or product system that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

“I am excited about the opportunity to provide UCA with the Assistive Technology Grant and to build this partnership with this outstanding teaching institution. I feel confident that the students receiving this training will be much better equipped with the knowledge of assistive devices and information that in the long run will enhance the independence of people with disabilities,” said Barry Vuletich, ICAN program director.

Through funds made available by the ICAN grant, assistive devices and equipment will be purchased within the domains of communication, hearing, vision, cognition, mobility and environmental activities of daily living.  All equipment will be housed in an accessible laboratory space on the UCA campus. This will allow its use in classroom teaching and laboratory experiences, according to Dr. Lorrie George-Wood, UCA Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, and co-author of the grant.

“The long term goal of this project is to prepare competent assistive technology service providers to aid people with disabilities who require assistive technology to perform their daily activities,” said Lu Hardin, UCA president. “The project focuses on increasing the sensitivity, knowledge and competency of future and current health care professionals regarding AT across the domains previously mentioned.” 

Hardin said the grant will target two specific audiences. “The primary target population includes undergraduate and graduate students at UCA. Second, the grant will serve the training needs of practicing occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and physical therapists through presentations at state and local conferences.”

“The new equipment will also increase the possibility of developing a course to fit the needs of doctoral students in Speech Language Pathology” Professor Linda Moore, co-author and Clinical Instructor in the Department of Speech Language Pathology said. Students in the Communication Sciences Doctoral Program from the campuses of UCA, University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will have access to the AT lab so research may be conducted in the area of augmentative alternative communication.

Garaventa Evacu-Trac-Evacuation Chair

One of the new pieces of assistive technology recently added to the ICAN clearinghouse is a Garaventa Evacu-Trac-Evacuation Chair that is used to evacuate people with limited mobility from buildings in the event of a fire, earthquake or other emergency during which the elevators in the building should not be used.

The evacuation chair is designed so that a small attendant can easily move a much larger passenger down stairs. The Evacu-Trac is easily set up and ready for a passenger to transfer from their wheelchair to the sling seat that is made of fire retardant fabric. The passenger’s weight moves the unit down stairs while the unit’s governor controls the speed. The chair can carry up to 300 pounds.

How does the Evacu-Trac work?  The chair would normally be kept in a storage cabinet located near the upper stair landing, ready for use in an emergency situation. The unit is placed on a flat surface and then the attendant would grasp the handle and pull it up in a quick-smooth motion that would lock the Evacu-Trac in the open position.

The passenger is transferred from their wheelchair to the Evacu-Trac sling seat. Three Velcro straps are provided for securing the passenger. These straps help immobilize an injured person or help transport a person with no upper body control.

To descend stairs, the attendant would release the brake by slowly squeezing the brake lever. The unit’s governor limits the maximum descent speed to about three feet per second. On the stairs, the unit’s tracks grip the stair noses and controls the descent speed regardless of the stair covering. On flat surfaces, the evacuation chair can be pushed on its wheels.

For more information about the Evacu-Trac visit:  www.garaventa.ca

Gardening Made Easier

Spring is in the air and those who garden are beginning to get the fever. But what do you do when you suffer from joint pain caused by arthritis or have difficulty griping hand shovels and gardening racks?

Good news, there are gardening items that are easy and comfortable to use. There are gardening tools that provide a cuff that wrap around the arm. The cuff allows the force to be distributed away from the hand and reduce the grip of the hand. Some handles are altered for a more comfortable grip by changing the handle form or by increasing the width of the handle. There are even long handled gardening tools for people who have trouble bending or kneeling as a result of a medical condition.

There are also gardening stools that provide cushion to the knees while in a kneeling position, or allow you to sit at a proper height for gardening chores. Some stools have wheels for even more mobility.

Two sources for these gardening tools are Flaghouse and Active Forever. Flaghouse can be contacted at 800-793-7900 or at www.flaghouse.com and Active Forever at 800-377-8033 or www.ActiveForever.com.