Good News Friday!

A few weeks ago, some Imagine! staff members dedicated to providing assistive technology solutions for the individuals we serve met with Melinda Piket-May, a professor at CU’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Following the discussion, Professor Piket-May broke up her one of her classes into several teams, and assigned each team a project intended to create a few simple tools that would allow some consumers served by Imagine! to be more independent, and to be able to complete everyday activities on their own.

Want some examples? Well, one team has agreed to create a wheelchair laundry carrier and wash machine loader for one of the residents of the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. The carrier and loader will allow the resident to transport his own laundry and place it in a front loading washing machine.

Another team is working on creating a wheelchair broom attachment that will allow that same resident to help with cleaning chores around the house.

Other class projects include a wheelchair tray that can be folded and stowed and would have a contoured edge with magnetic plates bowls and cups, and a five switch programmable infra-red remote control that will give simple access to environmental functions for individuals with limited mobility.

Projects such as these help provide individuals with limited mobility opportunities to take more control over their own lives. Most of us take those opportunities for granted, but for some of the folks we serve, the chance to do simple chores independently can have a profoundly positive impact.

We would like to offer our sincere thanks to Professor Piket-May and her students. We can’t succeed at Imagine! without the support of our community, and your commitment to your community is quite impressive!