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Custom Work When appropriate assistive technology is not available commercially, I can modify existing products or design and build a new assistive device, including simple wood, metal, or plastic items, electronic equipment, and computer software. Some of custom assistive devices I have designed and built are:  This simple wood and plastic holder supports a remote control for a person that uses a mouthstick. The holder supports the remote in its charging base, so the user never has to worry about changing batteries. The wood base also is weighted and has a non-slip rubber layer underneath it.
 I designed and built this light-activated switch for a child that uses a light pointer on his head. By aiming the light source at the face of this electronic switch, he can turn on adapted toys.  The goal of using this switch is to improve the child's head position by giving him positive feedback for proper head control. During use, the switch is hidden behind a popular cartoon character and connected to a favorite toy. When he holds his head to shine the light at the yellow "target", the red and black bug jumps around for a reward.
Another consumer's bed was much higher than his wheelchair, so he could not transfer to it by himself. I built this wood platform to lower the top of his special 12" thick mattress to match his wheelchair seat's height, thus easing transfers significantly.
I designed this electronic device to activate a speakerphone for someone with extremely limited mobility.
I designed this wall-mounted switch to be activated by the user's wheelchair footrest. I connected it to an electric door opener so that this person can now unlock and open the door for other individuals who use wheelchairs. This switch is extremely tough; even excessive pressure will not damage it.
I wrote a screenreader-accessible typing tutor to help a person who is blind with learning to type. Almost all available typing tutor programs present so much extra text on the screen that the user cannot hear what they are supposed to type. The instructor also has complete control over the practice text, so they can adjust it to the user's ability level and general interests as well. Note: This is the actual program itself, not a view of the typing tutor display.
 I adapted this battery-operated electric car for switch access to create a powered mobility evaluation tool. A child seated inside can press one of four switches to drive it forwards, backwards, left, and right. I also built a wired remote for a supervising therapist that overrides the child's switches.
I constructed this custom chin trackball for a person with extremely limited movements; he needed access to a pointing device, but his only available head movements are restricted by a tracheotomy tube. He can use this device to control the mouse cursor; he can use the large switches on each side to "click" on an icon or menu choice. This custom trackball is normally mounted on an adjustable arm for proper positioning at his chin.
I modified this "vehicle" for a special education classroom in eastern Indiana; a child can activate a switch of any type to drive it independently. This teaches cause-and-effect in a very motivating way, especially for children who are unable to move on their own. I also moved the seat back to allow for supportive seat cushions and added padded "rails" to help keep the driver safely inside.
I designed and fabricated this simple "wire" typing aid for a person with a degenerative condition; her hands were contracting in such a way that other typing aids did not fit her at all. In use, the curved position of her hand keeps the typing aid on securely.
 I designed this custom bed for someone with very reduced limb development. It supports a very small mattress so that he can get in and out of bed independently for the first time. This bed also provides a shelf alongside the mattress for a touchlamp, phone, water bottle, etc. The bed is only accessible to him when placed on the floor as shown.
I constructed this small "sip" switch for a consumer with no available movement; she sips on a tube (attached to the black tube at the bottom of the switch) to control her computer system. The switch I fabricated was much less expensive and more sensitive than other available switches of this type.
Here's a program I wrote to adapt a guitar tuner for a blind musician. I added a very tiny computer to the guitar tuner to change the Sharp, Flat, or In Tune lights to tones. ' This program reads the SHARP, FLAT, and IN TUNE LEDs of a Qwiktune QT-1 Guitar Tuner.
' These outputs indicate the characteristic of a guitar note heard by the QT-1.
' The program generates three different tones to indicate which output is active.
' This program checks the SHARP and FLAT outputs first, then the IN TUNE
' Therefore, the IN TUNE tone won't be heard unless the note is also
' not sharp or flat.
' After an active output has been indicated with a tone, there's a 1
' second delay to let the tuner outputs settle as the guitar note fades.
' The software also checks the tuner's AUTO/MANUAL mode switch and the STRING switch.
' Two different "tick" sounds indicate when these buttons are pressed.
' Written by: Dave Lafever
' Rehabilitation Engineer
' 317-877-3255
' Revised: 12/15/02 Original code.
' 12/16/02 Added PAUSE to make IN TUNE freqout intermittent.
' Reorganized output checking to favor SHARP and FLAT.
' Added 1 second delay after each tone is heard.
' Added monitoring of AUTO/MANUAL and STRING switches.
' Pin definitions:
' P0 = in tune
' P1 = sharp
' P2 = flat
' P3 = auto/manual switch
' P4 = string switch
' P5 = unused
' P6 = unused
' P7 = freqout output
'{$STAMP BS2} 'BS2 STAMP used
note var byte 'note input variable
'start program here!
freqout 7,1000,1000 'Power-up beep for 1 second
CHECKLEDS: 'check tuner's LED outputs
pause 100 'wait at least .1 second between "listening"...
'sharp check
button 1,1,255,0,note,1, sharp 'note sharp?
goto next2 ' no, check next output
sharp:
freqout 7, 1000,2500 ' yes, make a high tone
pause 1000 ' wait a second for the tuner to settle down
goto checkleds ' and return
'flat check
next2:
button 2,1,255,0,note,1, flat 'note flat?
goto next3 ' no, check next output
flat:
freqout 7, 1000, 500 ' yes, make a low tone
pause 1000 ' wait a second for the tuner to settle down
goto checkleds ' and return
'in tune check
next3:
button 0,1,255,0,note,1, intune 'note in tune?
goto checkm ' no, check mode/string switches
intune:
freqout 7,500,1000 ' yes, make a tone beep 3 times
pause 75
freqout 7,500,1000
pause 75
freqout 7,500,1000
pause 1000 ' wait a second for the tuner to settle down
'check Auto/Manual mode switch
checkm:
button 3,0,50,0,note,1, manual 'manual/auto switch pressed?
goto checks ' no, check string switch
manual:
high 7 ' yes, sound a tick
low 7
pause 500 ' wait just a bit
goto checkleds ' and return
'check String switch
checks:
button 4,0,50,0,note,1, string 'string switch pressed?
goto checkleds ' no, check all outputs again
string:
high 7 ' yes, sound a different tick
pause 5
low 7
pause 5
high 7
pause 5
low 7
pause 500 ' wait just a bit
goto checkleds ' and return forever...
One of my consumers needed a much larger, wheelchair- accessible workstation; her existing workstation did not fit her wheelchair at all. I built her a large accessible workstation that is height - adjustable and has no obstructions underneath. I also labeled the underside of the workstation for easy disassembly; this person occasionally has to change apartments, so I designed the workstation to come apart in 3 sections.
This electronic device was built for a person who is deaf; she uses a feeding IV pump 24 hours a day. However, the pump beeps when it requires attention, which she could not hear. I designed this equipment to detect the pump alarm beep (and only this beep) and then vibrate a wired remote to alert her. At night, she places the remote under her pillow so the vibrations will wake her.
I designed this U-shaped transfer bench to allow a wheelchair user to move independently between two stairlifts in his home.
This person needed an adjustable worksurface that would be available to him in his hospital bed; I fabricated an inexpensive white plastic tray and fastened it to his monitor support arm.
I modified this small pointing device so that a person with a C2 spinal cord injury could control it with his lips and chin. He uses it as a mouse substitute and is very quick and accurate with it.
I installed this phone, environmental control unit, and electric bed control on a wall-mount panel so that a person with very limited mobility could reach all of them while laying in bed. Note that the item on the left is higher than the items on the right; this matches the arc of the user's arm.
This non-verbal student needed a communication device attached to his wheelchair. I selected, installed, and adjusted mechanical components to create a removable mounting system. The finished mount holds the communication device (a DynaVox Mighty Mo) at just below eye level. Two head switches are used to select words and phrases.
Here's a custom stool that I designed for a very small person who uses a walker (she describes herself as one of the "Little People"). The stool was fabricated by Tower Stool, LLC (www.towerstool.com). I also designed her very low kitchen; the countertop in the background is only 26 inches high. I also selected the extra-low stove. |
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