On Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 5:30 – 7:00 PM, Imagine! will host a ceremony to mark the naming of the middle conference room in its John M. Taylor Conference Center as the Aaron Matthew Tuneberg Conference Room.
Aaron Matthew Tuneberg died at the age of 30 on April 8, 2014, as the result of a senseless and violent crime. Because of the developmental disability he was born with, his life was often difficult. Aaron was a sweet young man who, in spite of his disabilities, was trying to live his life well and in peace. He was a beloved son, brother, uncle and proud citizen of Boulder, Colorado.
Recognizing that others like Aaron faced similar risks, Aaron’s mother, Gale Boonstra, and Aaron’s family established Aaron’s Fund to support projects in Aaron’s community that would provide safety, independence, and camaraderie for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Thanks to the generosity of Aaron's Fund, Imagine! is creating a technology demonstration project to improve and support safety needs for adults with disabilities. The project will identify 5-10 individuals served by Imagine!, assess their support needs, identify the technologies that will best help meet those needs, purchase the technologies for the individuals, teach them how to use them for their needs, and provide ongoing support through the demonstration period.
The concept may be simple, but it will help fill a huge gap that currently exists in services for adults with I/DD who are mostly independent but need some assistance to remain self-reliant. Sadly, this is a population that is underserved and often ignored, as the tragic loss of Aaron showed. Available funding for their needs is miniscule, the workforce willing and able to meet those needs is shrinking, and yet the demand for these services continues to grow.
We’ll keep you posted on the project as it moves forward.
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