Friday, November 28, 2014

Good News Friday!

I’m delighted to announce that the 2014 Imagine! Employees of Distinction have been selected.

There were close to fifty nominations this year, with many qualified candidates, so we should all be justifiably proud of our colleagues who have been nominated and selected.

Recipients of the 2014 Imagine! Employee of Distinction will be recognized in front of their peers at the Imagine!’s Holiday Party, scheduled for Friday, December 5, at the Plaza Hotel in Longmont from 5:30-9:30.

I will also be recognizing them on this very blog next week, but today I thought I’d give you a sneak peek. Below is a collage of the eight Imagine! employees who were recognized by their peers as 2014 Employees of Distinction. Do you think you can recognize them?

Tune in next week to find out for sure!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Setting The Foundation For Good Decision Making

As an organization, Imagine! makes decisions that impact the organization and the people we serve every day. As the CEO of Imagine!, I also have to make decisions that impact the organization and the people we serve every day.

I will admit that sometimes those decisions, both personal and organizational, aren’t the correct decisions. But more often than not they are. I think it is because we have created a solid foundation upon which to base our decisions. We have developed a fertile ground for making the right call at the right time.

I think we make our best decisions when we ask (and discover the answers to) the correct questions before making the final call. Questions such as: “Do we have the resources to support this decision?”; “How much time will implementing this decision take, and do we have that time?’; “Is it the right time to make this decision?”; “How do we measure the success of this decision?”; and “Is a failed outcome necessarily related to the decision?”

Those last two questions are especially important. While we want to determine beforehand what our desired outcomes for a particular decision will be, we need to leave some room for accepting a failed outcome even though the decision was correct. Just because a decision doesn’t result in the expected or desired outcomes doesn’t automatically mean the decision was incorrect. Sometimes it just means that the timing wasn’t right. Or the resources we thought would be available weren’t actually there. Just because a person falls from a horse, it doesn’t mean the decision to go horseback riding was incorrect.

Whatever the case may be in regards to why a decision is or isn’t ultimately proven to be the correct one, we must be able to take what we learned from what didn’t work as a result of one decision and apply those lessons to the next decision(s) we make. If we do that, then really, no decision can be viewed as a failure.

We need to accept that not all the decisions we make will be the correct ones. We need to be forgiving of ourselves and others if a decision doesn’t produce the desired outcome, but we need to pay attention to what didn’t work so we don’t make the same selection again. If we can make that happen, then we will continue to operate on a strong foundation for making the right decisions at the right time, and accepting, acknowledging, and moving forward when we don’t make the right decisions.

Then again, what do I know?

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Technology Tuesday

This week’s Technology Tuesday comes to you from Suzanne Phillips, a Communication Teacher at Imagine!’s Longmont CORE/Labor Source hub. It is a touching story about finding just the right incentive to get an individual engaged and interested in taking the first steps toward independence and the first step towards learning. In this case, the incentive was a song by the Carpenters, appropriately titled “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

We’ve had an exciting new breakthrough in Longmont’s CORE/Labor Source “Cause and Effect” class! This class, as I’ve written about before, teaches cause-and-effect/computer skills to non-verbal adults with limited mobility. Three out of four of my students have been moving forward at a rapid pace. They have been learning to turn on lights, using the new iPads, and pressing switches to play games and turn on movie clips. However, I have one student that had not been interested in any of our computer games or sensory items. I was starting to worry that “Sam” (not his real name) would not get much from of my class, something that no teacher wants to accept!

Then we had our breakthrough. Sam’s provider told me that, while watching a movie, Sam had suddenly started dancing while a Carpenters song played. I got to work immediately, setting up a new activity for him to use during Cause and Effect class. I attached speakers to an iPad, then attached the iPad and a switch to a PowerLink. The iPad was set up to play a Carpenters Pandora station. I sat down to teach Sam how to turn on his own music, wondering if this would engage him when nothing else had.

I explained to him what I was working on, but he did not make eye contact or seem interested in the new setup. I then demonstrated how to press the switch to turn on his music. “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters began to play, and Sam froze. He turned slowly towards me, listening intently, then lifted one hand and started moving it slowly through the air. I couldn’t believe what happened next - this quiet and reserved guy started laughing, clapping and dancing by moving his shoulders, arms and hands. He loved it!

I stopped pressing the switch and the music turned off, he froze again and looked at me. I started the process of teaching him how to turn the music on by pressing the switch. I realized that direct access (he has to be holding down the switch to hear the music) didn’t work as well because he needed his hands for dancing! I set up the PowerLink to play 30-40 second clips of a song, long enough for him to enjoy his music and with a sudden enough stop to get him interested in pressing the switch to turn his music back on.

The first week I taught Sam the basic concepts, and by the second week he pressed the switch independently almost 20 times. I wish I could describe to you the difference I have seen in this guy. When I see him now he grins and claps his hands, he is progressing in class and I know that we have a foundation that we can build on. It is very exciting and I can’t wait to see what skills he will master next.

Thank you for reading this week’s Tech Tuesday, I will be back with more updates soon!

Can’t see the video? Click here

Friday, November 21, 2014

Good News Friday!

Today, I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to Dave Query, who is once again treating individuals served by Imagine! and their families to a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. This is the 11th year Query has hosted this event, which will again be at Zolo Southwestern Grill, 2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder.

There are three seatings, and all three have been filled already! That means a lot of folks will be the recipients of Dave's generosity.

Dave is the owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, including restaurants Centro Latin Kitchen, Jax Fish House – Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Glendale, and Kansas City, LoLa Coastal Mexican, Post Brewing Company, West End Tavern, and Zolo Grill. Dave is donating the makings for a delicious Zolo-style repast with all the trimmings, and the wait staff is volunteering its time. There is no charge for the meal, and no tips are necessary.

Dave Query (in the center in the back) with family and Zolo staff members at last year's Thanksgiving feast for individuals served by Imagine!

Thanks to Dave and the Zolo staff for making it a Thanksgiving to remember!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Out & About With . . . Paul Derda Recreation Center

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals.

So over the next few months, I’d like to use this blog to thank some of those community partners that make all the difference when it comes to successful outcomes for Out & About participants.

Today, I’d like to acknowledge the Paul Derda Recreation Center in Broomfield for its support of Out & About. Out & About uses Paul Derda’s pool at least once a week during its Summer Camp program as well as during the school year. The kids LOVE the slides and family hot tub at this pool! The staff members at Paul Derda are always kind and accommodating to the Out & About group.

Thank you, Paul Derda Recreation Center, for your continued support of your community and all of its members.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

The Giving Season

A little less than a month ago, I wrote a post about how my trip to Africa changed my view of what it means to be privileged. That change in perspective was accompanied by a commitment I made to myself to make a greater effort to use my own privilege and advantages for the common good.

As the holiday season approaches, I see many opportunities to do just that. But where to start?

As I was pondering that question recently, I happened to see an article in The Daily Camera written by Enid Ablowitz, Associate Director for Administration at the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities in the Office of the President, University of Colorado, about this very subject. (Full disclosure: Enid is a longtime friend of Imagine! and I respect her opinion greatly).

If you didn’t click on the link to the article above, here’s a quick summary. Enid points out that November is National Philanthropy Month, making it a great time to focus on changing the culture of charitable giving? What, she asks, if there could be a true paradigm shift in the way we view "the holidays," and if we could get just as excited about charitable giving as we do about costumes, wrapping paper and the latest and greatest trinket?

She offers five suggestions on we can make that paradigm shift happen:
  1. FIND YOUR PASSION: What do you really care about? Societal needs? Creating opportunity? What do you want to make sure is there for others in the future? What has made a difference in your life? Virtually every enterprise requires people and resources to sustain it. How can you share your passion through charitable giving? 
  2. LEARN NEW GIVING STRATEGIES: Don't let giving be perfunctory, like paying bills. Take it seriously and maximize your impact. Don't let taxes drive your giving, but learn how financial and tax considerations can unlock your giving potential. What giving strategies do you want to learn more about? 
  3. CHOOSE A NON-PROFIT PARTNER: Focus on the charitable organization that best matches your passion and get involved. How can you help it be more effective and more accountable?
  4. TEACH OTHERS TO GIVE: Create teachable moments to engage children, grandchildren, siblings, even spouses or partners in the joy of giving. Specifically, how will you approach exchanging gifts this holiday season? Are there lessons to be learned in the choices you make?
  5. SHOW YOUR LOVE, RESPECT OR GRATITUDE THROUGH GIVING: Give in someone else's name ... for a purpose aligned with their passion. Who will you honor and how? 
In the next six weeks, you will have many opportunities to give back and make a difference. Some of those opportunities will be related to Imagine!, and I promise to share those ways with you on this very blog. But for today, all I ask is that you join me in re-thinking how we approach this season, and consider what we all can do differently in search of a better world for all. We might all learn something in the process.

Then again, what do I know?

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s own Stephanie Tilley was recently the subject of an article in Apostrophe Magazine.

Apostrophe is a national publication promoting inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Their stories and photos show people achieving independence, contributing to their communities, and enjoying life.

In the article, Stephanie explains why using technology is so important to those with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and gives examples of how she incorporates technology in the classes she teaches at Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department.

Check out the story here.

Way to go, Stephanie!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Good News Friday!

On Thursday, November 6, 2014, Imagine! hosted an Open House at its brand new Santa Fe Group Home in Broomfield.

Imagine!’s Santa Fe Group Home serves as a home base to meet the multiple needs of six individuals with developmental disabilities who are seniors or experiencing the early onset of aging-related conditions that often accompany these disabilities. This specialized care allows the individuals to live in a neighborhood setting while avoiding the more costly nursing home alternative.

In the video below, you will see Imagine!’s Director of Innovations, Jodi Walters (and me) talk a little about the how and why of the home, and thank the many people who helped make it possible. It is worth the view to learn about another example of Imagine! looking toward the future so we can continue to meet the needs of those we serve.

 
Can’t see the video? Click here

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Out & About With . . . Chipper's Lanes

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals.

So over the next few months, I’d like to use this blog to thank some of those community partners that make all the difference when it comes to successful outcomes for Out & About participants.

Today, I’d like to acknowledge Chipper’s Lane in Broomfield for its support of Out & About. Almost every Tuesday night, participants in Out & About’s Catalog program enjoy a fun night of bowling at Chipper’s Lane. The staff at Chipper’s is always friendly, helpful, and determined to ensure that the Out & About participants and crew have a great experience every time they are there.

Thank you, Chipper’s Lanes, for your continued support of your community and all of its members.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Ethical Persuasion

I recently heard the phrase “Ethical Persuasion” and it really struck me as an interesting and thoughtful phrase. Especially considering the recent election cycle our country just endured. And I use the term endure very intentionally.

As I understand it, ethical persuasion means using respect, understanding, caring, and fairness when attempting to persuade another to consider your point of view. It contrasts with a lot of what I saw during the election campaign, especially in terms of the advertising that all of us were inundated with in the months leading up to Election Day.

I think we can all agree, wherever we may place ourselves on the political spectrum, that a great deal of advertising done during an election veered away from ethical persuasion. Ads from both sides varied from a slight stretching the truth or taking a quote or action out of context, all the way to out and out falsehoods. Sadly, there is little recourse for candidates (and citizens) who may find themselves at the wrong end of one of these ads attempting to engage in unethical persuasion. It makes one wonder if the ends justify the means, though clearly those involved in financing and creating the ads have made that calculation and believe the answer to that question to be “yes.”

But I’m not sure the ends justify the means, and I’m willing to bet that many of you reading this feel the same way.

Of course, this isn’t a blog about politics, and the point of this blog is to talk about ethical persuasion and how it relates to those of us in the field of serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’ve been thinking lately about the language we use and if we are using it appropriately and ethically.

For example, I have heard on more than one occasion the individuals we serve described as “our most vulnerable citizens.” That’s powerful language, and certainly draws attention, but is it really true? Are the people we serve more vulnerable than those who are economically poor, or children who don’t have enough to eat, or who live in neighborhoods with high crime rates? Are we just engaging in hyperbole in order to make people pay more attention to our particular cause or issue? And if we are engaging in hyperbole, is that OK if it leads for more opportunities to meet the needs of those we serve?

Let’s take it a step further. I have often said to legislators and others who regulate the funding and delivery of services in our field that the rates we receive at Imagine! for delivering the services don’t support the services we provide. Now, I firmly believe that is true, and I have the data to back my belief. However, I fully understand that what I’m saying when I make that argument is that our providers (many of whom are Imagine! employees) don’t get paid enough for the work they do, and they need to earn more. Others could argue that they get paid too much. Some would say that if more funding goes into our system, it should go directly to families or the individuals we serve, not to the organizations providing the services. Some would say that there is already too much money in the system and we should be looking to cut how much is spent.

So am I engaging in ethical persuasion when I say that our rates aren’t adequate? Can I defend this position and say I am using respect, understanding, caring, and fairness when attempting to persuade someone else to consider my point of view? I think so, but . . .

Then again, what do I know?

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Technology Tuesday

People with cognitive disabilities have an equal right to technology and information access. A coalition of disability organizations and individuals asserted this right in a formal declaration, The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access, announced at the Thirteenth Annual Coleman Institute National Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology, held in 2013.

At the Fourteenth Annual Coleman Institute National Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology, held just this past October, the video below debuted. You are encouraged to watch it and be reminded as to why Imagine! continues to diligently work to increase technology use among the population we serve. You might also recognize some of the people in the footage showing how technology is already being utilized by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – they are residents of Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome.

Can’t see the video? Click here

If you haven’t already, please endorse the declaration by following this link, and to affirm your commitment to the equal rights of people with cognitive disabilities to technology and information access.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Good News Friday

This past Monday, Imagine! launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to provide Thanksgiving meals for some individuals served by our organization who weren’t able to access these meals otherwise.

I had planned to use this space to share that news and encourage my readers to donate to the campaign. But I don’t have to do that now, because thanks to the amazing generosity of our community, the campaign met its goal of $1,000 (to provide meals for 50 individuals) in less than three days!

I’d like to congratulate Elizabeth Hill, Imagine!’s Volunteer Coordinator, for leading this incredibly successful effort. I’d also like to thank the many generous donors who contributed so quickly.

Below you can see the video that was created by Imagine! staff members for the fundraising campaign. And if you are interested, you can learn more about the campaign by clicking here.

The campaign is still live, and donations are still being accepted, as any additional funds will create more opportunities for making it a really great Thanksgiving for folks in need. But I’m not asking you donate. I’d never do that.

Unless you really want to.
 

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Out & About With . . . Longmont Recreation Center

Imagine!’s Out & About department was created in 1997 in response to the requests of community members with disabilities and family members who care for those with disabilities to have more options for community-based recreation services.

That “community-based” element is key - rather than scheduling activities in a segregated setting, you will find Out & About participants (both adults and children) utilizing recreation centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, museums, and even amusement parks.

Of course, Out & About wouldn’t be able to provide those services without the support of the many, many community organizations that collaborate with Out & About to ensure that participants are able to receive positive instruction, within a therapeutic framework, to encourage growth, learning, community participation, socialization, health, safety, and the achievement of individual goals.

So over the next few months, I’d like to use this blog to thank some of those community partners that make all the difference when it comes to successful outcomes for Out & About participants.

Today, I’d like to acknowledge the Longmont Recreation Center for its support of Out & About. Out & About uses the Longmont Recreation Center’s pool at least once a week during its Summer Camp program, and several times throughout the school year as well. The pool is great for Out & About participants as there are so many different areas to explore. Once during the summer Out & About also uses the Longmont Recreation Center’s rock climbing wall. The staff members at the rock wall are great with participants and really support them in giving the rock climbing a try. They have even helped to rig up some adaptive harnesses to ensure everyone who wants to try, is able!

Thank you, Longmont Recreation Center, for your continued support of your community and all of its members.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Office Space

Imagine! has been planning a significant overhaul of both of our workspaces for some time now. As we get closer to the time that the actual work of remodeling and reassigning of workspaces will take place, it is probably time to discuss a little bit of the “why” of this project.

In a stroke of fortunate timing, I was pondering how to share with our stakeholders, especially our employees, the reasons for the redesign of our offices when I came across a fantastic podcast. This Harvard Business Review (HBR) podcast features an interview with Jennifer Magnolfi, Founder & Principal Investigator at Programmable Habitats LLC, on how digital work and the Internet of Things will fundamentally change the how we use the buildings and neighborhoods we work in. Magnolfi is one of the authors of an HBR article entitled “Workspaces That Move People,” which encourages companies to measure whether a workspace’s design helps or hurts performance.

That important question, whether Imagine!’s workspace currently helps or hurts our performance, underlies our decision to reconsider how Imagine!’s workspaces are configured. I would argue that our current workspace hurts our performance.

Let me provide a couple of examples of how I think our current workspace inhibits top functioning.

First of all, we are missing many opportunities for what Magnolfi and her co-authors describe as collisions - chance encounters and unplanned interactions between knowledge workers, both inside and outside the organization. Studies indicate that face-to-face interactions are by far the most important activity in a workspace. This is especially true at Imagine!. We have many employees with very specific knowledge about different aspects of Imagine!, the services we provide, the individuals we serve, and the funding mechanisms for providing those services. No one person has all the pieces to the puzzle, including me. Unfortunately, we tend to literally “silo” knowledge experts with our current workspace set up. People working in the same workspace on the same things for multiple years are less likely to have opportunities to share what they know with those outside of their limited area of expertise. The chance that a comment such as “I’m working on this” will lead to a response of “That fits in perfectly with what I’m doing, let’s see what we can do together” is significantly lessened by the silos that we have, albeit unintentionally, created at Imagine!’s workspaces. Tearing down those silos will lead to accelerated learning and increasing interaction among our workforce.

Here’s a second reason. The redesign is being directed to make our space more user friendly for visitors. For example, currently, many of the meeting rooms at our main administrative building are located on the second floor. Those rooms host meetings every day with the individuals and families we serve. What kind of message does it send when we make the people we are supposed to be assisting, many of whom have physical disabilities in addition to intellectual and developmental disabilities, climb stairs or wait for elevators when we have a ground floor dedicated to other purposes? Not a very friendly or person-centered message, to be sure. So if we have a new workspace design with meeting spaces on the first floor designated for use for meetings with visitors and the people we serve, we are sending a subtle but very powerful message – your needs matter. For an organization like Imagine!, that seems like exactly the message we want to send every day and in every way to our community and the people we serve.

Those are just two examples of why I believe this redesign is so important. There are others as well, but the main point is that we are trying to look at office space in a similar way as we might look at software. No one is surprised when a company updates software annually, or even every six months. It is expected, and assumed, that the upgrades will provide new opportunities for improved performance. But we don’t look at physical buildings in the same way. Workspaces remain static for long periods of time. I agree with Magnolfi that we need to rethink that attitude. Changes should always be considered when the opportunity to do better through that change arises. We can’t cling to our outdated notions of what our workspaces should look like just because we are comfortable, or we like our cube mates, or because change can be intimidating. We have to do our homework. We have to understand how new tools have changed how we work. If we want to be the best we can be, we have to examine everything, including the spaces where we work.

Then again, what do I know?

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Technology Tuesday

I have told you many times before about Imagine!’s collaboration with the University of Colorado Engineering School, where students create a variety of assistive technology projects for individuals served by Imagine!. (Don’t recall? Check out here, here, here, here, and here for just a few examples of projects).

Well, students this semester are at it again, and one group has taken their project to the next level. They have entered their project into an Elevations Credit Union contest, wherein Elevations is giving away up to $1,500 to help fund local projects that support the Boulder community. As they put it, Elevations wants to support “CU Buffs that are doing something awesome for their community.”

The winners of the funding are determined in part by an online vote on Facebook, and you can help. Click here and vote for “Electronic Color Organ Box.” You can vote once daily, and the contest runs through Friday, so don’t be shy – feel free to vote every day. Here is how the students are describing their project and how they would use the funds:

Our awesome project is an electronic color organ box. A phone or music player is plugged into it, and six different boxes will light up based on the bass, mid, and treble sounds from the music. There will be two columns of boxes, the bottom two are the biggest and will light up the same color with the base. The middle two will light up a different color together with the mid frequencies. And the top two boxes will light up a third color with the high frequencies. There will be three different color schemes that the user can choose for the boxes to be through a remote. The remote will also be able to control the volume of the music and intensity of the light. This electronic color organ box will be put in Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, CO, which is a home for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We will use the money for electronic boards such as an arduino and spectrum shield. A spectrum shield breaks up the frequencies of the music. Also, we will buy nice acrylic to make the boxes and so the light will have a nice glow through it. We will buy LEDs for the colored light, an AC/DC cord, and miscellaneous things such as wires and screws. The money will definitely be put to good use! 

Thanks for helping out, and thanks especially to the CU students for adding their project to this contest!

Don’t forget to vote