Technology Tuesday

Anthony and Shelly, who live at Imagine!'s Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, are set up with their own iPads, accounts, and tools needed to navigate their devices using simple switch technology.

Shelly has had very promising results with this year-old technology. Her head switch uses Bluetooth and connects to any device compatible with Bluetooth. She uses subtle head movements on the head switch to select buttons and icons on the device. The progress will improve as she fine tunes this feature with custom settings on her iPad. Because her head switch is Bluetooth compatible, she can use this at home, day program, and work.

Anthony is learning how to use the cloud and access his calendar and email on any device. This feature helps him stay up to date with doctor appointments and his supported employment schedule. All of his devices are equipped with “support navigation,” which allows for a specific app to be locked to prevent unintentional jumping between apps. He also uses the read feature, which allows him to hear audibly the text on any page.