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Your weekly dose of information that keeps you up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs.
Show Notes
Laura Medcalf, Social Media Content Specialist www.EasterSealsTech.com
Accessibility Minute with Laura Medcalf www.AccessibilityMinute.com
On the Hill with Audrey Busch – www.ATAPorg.org
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LAURA MEDCALF: Hi, this is Laura Medcalf, the social media content specialist for the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads, and this is your Assistance Technology Update.
WADE WINGLER: Hi, this is Wade Wingler with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals crossroads in Indiana with your Assistive Technology Update, a weekly dose of information that keeps you up-to-date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs.
Welcome to episode number 251 of Assistive Technology Update. It’s scheduled to be released on March 18 of 2016.
Today we are going to do something special. We are going to try a new segment today called Your AT Journey where we tell the story of an individual who uses assistive technology and how that has been an important part of their life story. Before we jump into that special interview with Laura Medcalf, we’ve got our On The Hill with Audrey segment where Audrey Busch from ATAP talks about what’s happening in the federal government.
If you like this new segment, Your AT Journey, let us know. We would love to hear from you. You can find us on the web at www.eastersealstech.com, you can shoot us a note on Twitter at INDATA Project, or call our listener line. The number is 317-721-7124.
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It’s time for On The Hill with Audrey. Audrey Busch is the Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs. In her update, she lets us know how the power of politics is impacting people with disabilities and their use of assistive technology. Learn more about Audrey and her work at ATAPorg.org.
AUDREY BUSCH: This is Audrey Bush, Policy and Advocacy Director for the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, coming to you with your monthly Washington update.
With all the mudslinging taking place during the presidential election and stealing all the national headlines, it can seem like nothing is happening in Washington. That is really not the truth. In fact, Congress is actually working to follow regular order this year and pass all 12 appropriations bills. While there actually is a bit of a fraction of the GOP that is in disagreement about how much money to spend in fiscal year 2017, the show must go on. Therefore both the House and Senate appropriations committees are moving forward with the appropriations process and have begun hearings that are traditionally held in order to hear from all federal agencies who come before the committees and explain the president’s budget requests that were received in February.
Over the past two weeks, House and Senate Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittees have heard from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Burwell, who actually went to the Hill to explain the specific request for the Department of Health and Human Services, which houses many programs in terms of people with disabilities.
Of great concern to both the House and Senate was the request from the administration to spend over $1 billion on the moonshot cancer initiative which is the initiative announced in the President’s State of the Union address which intends to find a cure for cancer. This is proposed in the budget request to be paid for by new mandatory federal dollars. The interesting piece to note is that mandatory spending is not part of the regular budget process that requires a different kind of approval process by Congress. Therefore Chairman and ranking members of Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittees were voicing their frustration with not having real proposals for how they are supposed to pay for this moonshot initiative under the agreed allocations for fiscal year 2017. Such a large spending request, certainly squeezes the labor Health and Human Services appropriations bills and it will be something to walk watch and coming months for how this specific appropriations subcommittee find ways to appease the president’s spending request or even if they are able to do so at all without also taking money from many of the other programs housed within the Labor Health and Human Services a Probation Subcommittee.
Regardless of the internal game of tug-of-war within the GOP about how much to actual spend over all in fiscal year 2017, as I said, the show must go on, and Congress will likely continue to move forward with the budget process as much as they can. So stay tuned for future updates as more information known about how Congress will spend federal dollars in the next fiscal year.
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WADE WINGLER: Let’s face it: although we love assistive technology’s gadgets and gizmos, it is really all about the people and their journeys. Join me as we learn about the journey of an AT user and how technology has been part of their story.
So today we are trying something different. Today I’m going to try a series that I am interested in doing, and the best thing to know if it will work is to try it. A series called your AT journey. What I want to do with this is focus on people who are users of assistive technology who can tell us a little bit about their journey, obviously, and how AT came into their lives and how they use AT as part of their daily life. So we are going to try this.
I thought what better guinea pig to have for this particular show than a dear friend of mine Laura Medcalf who actually works here. You might have heard her voice in the past. She has been on our holiday shopping shows. You might have heard her voice if you listen to the popular podcast Accessibility Minute. That is her show that she does every week. And you probably know her wit and writing style if you have read our blog over at EasterSealsTech.blog, because the vast majority of writing that is done over there is done by Laura. She sits in our area here writing all day long, almost every day, and is somebody who uses assistive technology. She joins me in the studio today. How are you doing?
LAURA MEDCALF: I’m well. How are you, Wade Wingler?
WADE WINGLER: Doing fine. You promised not to do be nervous because it is just you and I hanging out having a chat, right?
LAURA MEDCALF: Okay.
WADE WINGLER: That’s what we’re going to go with. This is going to be fun. I’m looking forward to spending some time with you digging into your AT background a little bit. Before we talk about the AT part, let’s talk a little bit about your current job. What is your job, what you do here, and what does a day in the life look like for you?
LAURA MEDCALF: Whenever people ask me what my job is, I simply say it is my dream job. I get to work with assistive technology. I get to get the word out, work with individuals of special needs. I am the blogger for the INDATA Project. I’m also the podcaster for Accessibility Minute. I’m always learning about new assistive technology, getting the word out there.
WADE WINGLER: Your job as a whole lot of gather information, right? He’s been a whole lot of time – you work in probably the place of Indiana where there is more assistive technology than any place else. Part of your job is to be a sponge, right?
LAURA MEDCALF: Yeah.
WADE WINGLER: And then turn it into contact.
LAURA MEDCALF: Exactly.
WADE WINGLER: Let’s talk a little bit about your use of assistive technology. I think to help with that, maybe we can talk about your disability, the challenges that you have, maybe even go back to thinking about your diagnosis and when that happened and what that was like and just kind of fill people in on sort of the medical stuff.
LAURA MEDCALF: I am the third child out of four kids, and around the age of two or three, I was not walking as well as my other siblings or – and I was always leaning on tables or different things to get around. I used a little Fisher Price cart often to get around, and we didn’t really think about it at first, but eventually I started to fall down a lot and my parents took me to get tested. When I was three, they ended up doing a biopsy and found out that I had spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy, which affects all the muscles.
WADE WINGLER: So your first assistive technology with a Fisher Price toy, right?
LAURA MEDCALF: I guess you could say that.
WADE WINGLER: How did that change your life as a kid? When did technology, any kind of assistive technology, enter the picture?
LAURA MEDCALF: Assistive technology is entered the picture shortly after I got involved with the MDA clinic shortly after my diagnosis, and then they let me know in my family no different resources and help me get a walker, just a cute little walker for little three, four years old.
WADE WINGLER: With wheels or without?
LAURA MEDCALF: With wheels, definitely with wheels that was quick in the rain. I will never forget that sound. So embarrassing. I just got around just like all my other friends. It never really stopped me. I ran through the sprinkler with it. I have great memories just walking around the block on my walker. I never even realized that I, in a wheelchair, used a walker. To this day I still forget. People are like that you are in a wheelchair? I am? Okay. That’s fine.
WADE WINGLER: You were a little bit famous when you were a kid, or to you?
LAURA MEDCALF: I was a little bit.
WADE WINGLER: Tell me about that.
LAURA MEDCALF: A little nervous still. I was the State Goodwill Ambassador for MDA for I believe 4 to 5 years. When I was around seven or eight, my family was the first to be flown out to the national telethon in Los Angeles. I got to meet several celebrities. I got to be so shy on national television. Jerry Lewis, being so sweet, just picked me up in his arms and gave me a kiss on the cheek when I was so nervous.
WADE WINGLER: So Jerry Lewis picked you up and give you a smooch on the cheek?
LAURA MEDCALF: He did. I was like I’m never watching washing this cheek again.
LAURA MEDCALF: No kidding. Who else have you meet that was famous? I love to play the who have you met that’s famous game.
LAURA MEDCALF: I believe I shared an elevator with Tony Danza and Jerry Springer, which was weird. And Mariette Hartley, the woman who does the Mac Arena, I shared the dressing room with her. That was a very unique experience to say the least.
WADE WINGLER: That’s great. Walker when you were a little kid after the Fisher-Price toys. Talk to me little bit about your use of assistive technology in high school, and then in college. I know these things, where did you go to college and what did you major in and how is AT a part of that?
LAURA MEDCALF: I used a walker up until fifth grade, and then I became completely bound to a manual wheelchair, and then come sixth grade I began using a power wheelchair which has been the most helpful assistive technology to date. It has granted me so much independence that many take for granted. On days when my chair breaks down, I totally realize how much I depend on it. But it has helped me get around campuses, malls, the ability to go to skating rings with my friends. I remember going to skating parties for schools and just everybody trailing, holding onto my wheelchair. It was really fun.
WADE WINGLER: That’s cool.
LAURA MEDCALF: But the wheelchair has gotten me through all of high school. And then in 2007, I graduated from Perry Meridian high school and I decided to go to Ball State University because I’ve heard great things about their teachers college which was something that I wanted to become, was a teacher, and also the accessibility on campus is highly recognized. As soon as I got there, I met with the Director of Disability Services, Larry Markle, and he helped me map out everything and let me know a bunch of the different resources available on campus for my physical disability as well as my learning disabilities. He helped me set up a notetaker for classes.
WADE WINGLER: I happen to know Larry. He’s a great guy. I work with them in a number of situations. I’m so glad he was helpful for you. You mentioned learning disability and you mentioned the wheelchair. How did all that stuff figure into college? There are a couple of things going on.
LAURA MEDCALF: The wheelchair, once I got to Ball State, I found out that the wheelchair wasn’t going to be much of an issue due to the accessibility and then being so willing to adapt certain things for me such as bringing in adaptive desk to my classrooms. But the learning disability, that was something that I was a little bit more embarrassed about and afraid to ask for help.
WADE WINGLER: Was that new for you at that point? Did you learn about that a college or earlier?
LAURA MEDCALF: The learning disability?
WADE WINGLER: Yeah.
WADE WINGLER: I was diagnosed with ADHD in sixth grade. It was something that I’ve struggled with all my life. I’ve never succeeded at reading comprehension, listening to teachers – I’m sorry teachers if you’re listening. It impacted me in many ways, especially test taking. A majority of my college experience, I remember I was afraid to ask for help, especially when it came to taking tests. I didn’t realize that this was a common problem that many students had. Like I needed extended time because I get anxiety, like major anxiety, which would make me freeze up as soon as I got a test and it would take me twice to three times as long as my peers. But eventually I learned to ask for help. Larry Markle helped me communicate with my teachers and get the accommodation that I needed. So I would often go into the testing center at the learning center and get extended time and different help.
WADE WINGLER: So college was successful for you, and then you ended up here at Easter Seals Crossroads. Tell me a little bit about your journey to get from graduating to you are here and a blogger.
LAURA MEDCALF: My only job was the writing center, I was a writing tutor at Ball State University my last year. So I was working with different students, international, grad students, Masters, all that, helping them write their theses, all this, adding beating their papers, proofreading. That was definitely eye-opening to me and I realized how exciting that was for me.
WADE WINGLER: Then you interned for the city of Indianapolis and then you interned here. That’s how I met you.
LAURA MEDCALF: Yeah. Because I became so passionate about writing and editing, I started to look for a job which would allow me to write. My job coach here at Easter Seals Crossroads ended up letting me know about an intern position here for the INDATA Project.
WADE WINGLER: I’m familiar with that.
LAURA MEDCALF: Are you?
WADE WINGLER: Yeah.
LAURA MEDCALF: Mr. Wade Wingler actually interviewed me. Eventually you guys liked me enough to sign me on permanently.
WADE WINGLER: In fact, you were the last intern – you were the intern to end all internships. Frankly you were such a great writer and get such a good job, we got to the end of your internship and were like, yeah, we are pretty much happy with what you’re doing. What would look like if you stayed? So the bad news is we haven’t had any interns since then; the good news is we’ve got a really great writer who is been here creating content for us for two years.
LAURA MEDCALF: Almost two and a half years.
WADE WINGLER: Two and half years? Okay. So talk to me little bit about your use of AT now. I see you using assistive technology throughout the day from time to time, and I also know you some stuff at home. You wre highlighting one of our blog posts recently – and we will pop a link in the show notes so that if people want to see the pictures and read the narrative about your use of AT, they can do that – but tell me a little bit about the AT you use to do your job and what you’re using at home.
LAURA MEDCALF: Now I am able to drive myself, so I’ll start with that. I have two little hand controls in my van. With my left hand, I have a joystick that goes forward and backward. At the right is the size of a CD, it is my steering wheel. It sits right next to my chair joystick and it is the size of a city and – I compare it to an old-school gaming system. It’s really fun
WADE WINGLER: Like a videogame but you are actually driving.
LAURA MEDCALF: Yeah. And you get points for hitting things that you don’t want. It’s not really a videogame, but yeah. So I’m able to drive to and from work now which is really amazing and has helped me out tremendously. Once I’m at work, I just go to my cute little desk and I worked on the MacBook which has been phenomenal for me. Recently I received the Bose —
WADE WINGLER: They are noise canceling headphones.
LAURA MEDCALF: Noise canceling headphones.
WADE WINGLER: I forget the name of them.
LAURA MEDCALF: Quite Comfort 25.
WADE WINGLER: There you go.
LAURA MEDCALF: They have been a game changer for me because I don’t have my own office, and with my ADHD I’m distracted every five seconds. But now with these headphones, I simply put them on, turn the power on, and all the background noise is gone.
WADE WINGLER: So you’re not actually listening to music by the noise canceling is so good that it just really bugs that most of the background noise, conversations, and that kind of thing.
LAURA MEDCALF: And now I’m able to get in the zone when I write or come up with my podcast and stuff like that. It’s really cool.
WADE WINGLER: Other AT you are using here on the job? Note taking, anything like that?
LAURA MEDCALF: That stuff at home is really cool though.
WADE WINGLER: A talk about that. Let’s talk about the AT you use at home because I know it is interesting enough that we actually went out and did some photography and filming at your place to talk about that. What’s going on at home with AT?
LAURA MEDCALF: My biggest struggle when I graduated was the ability to lock or unlock my door once I was in bed. Of course I have several attendants come in and out, and it was important for me to find something that would allow me to use my phone to unlock the door. Eventually my friend told me about her system which was Ai Beera [phonetic], and that allows me to operate my thermostat, unlock and lock my door, even if I am home or not, which is been really helpful. It allows me to turn on certain lights and certain receivers if you plug the appliances into that, it allows you to operate that as well. It has turned my iPhone into a complete assistive technology device.
WADE WINGLER: So that iPhone has been a game changer, right?
LAURA MEDCALF: Definitely. It served as a remote to all things automatic in my house. It has allowed me to live completely independently.
WADE WINGLER: That’s great. You use your iPhone throughout the day. We all do. It is a communication tool. You’re using it for text messages and email and taking notes and all that kind of stuff. I think that is one of the pieces of assistive technology that gets overlooked in societies these days, because it is there and handed it is not even a disability specific thing. It can be but is one of those helpful tools. So advice for a 15-year-old Laura Medcalf? Now that you are to the point to where you are living independently, successfully employed, driving around, world-famous podcaster and blogger, what would you say to the 15-year-old version of you?
LAURA MEDCALF: I would tell little old me to not be so afraid to ask for help. You’re not the only person who has a disability or who has these challenges. There are thousands and millions of people who go through the same thing. There are so many resources available out there to help you. I just really regret not seeking help when I needed it. I was just sort of embarrassed by my disability, thinking I was unique and an alien or whatever. In recent years, of course I learned that we are all the same. I just view things differently. Actually I think I do things in a much cooler way with all of my handy dandy gadgets.
WADE WINGLER: What advice would you have for maybe not Laura but anybody who wants to learn more about assistive technology? They’ve heard about it, think they might have an interest or need, where would you recommend they start looking around or what advice would you have for somebody who just need to learn about assistive technology?
LAURA MEDCALF: I would say that www.eastersealstech.com is a great way to start. I’m always looking at assistive technology blogs or OT’s with apps. A bunch of states have assistive technology blogs. We all kind of feed off of each other. I think that is really important, because they get the word out, I get the word out, and now we are all aware that are out there to spread the message of different assistive technologies.
WADE WINGLER: We are the INDATA Project here in Indiana, but there are 55 other programs who do similar things. If people wanted to find a list of the assistive technology act programs near them in their state or territory, we have website for that. You can actually head over to www.eastersealstech.com/states, and that will give a list of all the programs. So if you’re in Missouri or Guam or whatever and you want to know where my local version of that is, www.eastersealstech.com/states will be a place where you can go and find that.
We all get discouraged sometimes. Sometimes we find life in general to be a challenge. What advice would you have for an AT user who feels discouraged? They are challenged in finding AT or funding or is not working very well be as someone who has garnered a great deal of success, what advice would you have for someone who is discouraged?
LAURA MEDCALF: Tried different things. If you live in the state of Indiana, definitely take advantage of our lending library where you can try before you buy. I think that is really important instead of wasting hundreds or thousands of dollars on gadgets that simply don’t work for you. I think it’s very important to stay open-minded and to try new things. If at first you don’t succeed, get up and try again. I couldn’t walk well, so I got up in a walker and eventually in a wheelchair. Here I am. I work, live independently, drive. It’s a dream. I live a dream life. I’m very blessed. Assistive technology has allowed me to do that.
WADE WINGLER: As someone who writes about AT every day, what’s one or two of your favorite assistive technologies you have written about or recorded about lately?
LAURA MEDCALF: One of my most favorite ones recently is about fidgets, which are toys that you can play with if you’re anxious. It’s really helpful for children with autism or an adult with ADHD. They help you shift your hyperactivity and your anxiety into this little gadget. Right now I wish I had a fidget because I’m a little bit anxious. That’s fine.
WADE WINGLER: You are doing great.
LAURA MEDCALF: Be sure to check out the blog, www.eastersealstech.com, and search a series I did on adult fidgets as well as fidgets for children in the classroom setting.
WADE WINGLER: So if you go to www.eastersealstech.com and search on fidget, you will find that there?
LAURA MEDCALF: Yes. There are a bunch of cool toys and things to play with.
WADE WINGLER: Laura, what is in your crystal ball when it comes to assistive technology, both as a user and as a writer? What kinds of things are you looking forward to in the future, either in your use of assistive technology or stuff you’re seeing hit the market?
LAURA MEDCALF: I would say the world of home automation is ever-growing. I’m always excited to learn more about new devices coming out. Everything is so cool in the world of assistive technology. There are robots, toys, so many apps out there. There is a new app, it seems like, every day. That will help individuals with visual impairments, learning disabilities. The thing I love most about assistive technology is you’re never bored. As a writer for assistive technology, there are so many options out there for so many different special needs.
WADE WINGLER: How do you feel about that? Are you excited about the future?
LAURA MEDCALF: I am very excited about the future. The past couple of years, even since I’ve been working here, the world of technology has grown tremendously. I’m so excited to see what else there is to come.
WADE WINGLER: You are part of it.
LAURA MEDCALF: I am part of it.
WADE WINGLER: Laura Medcalf is our social media content specialist for a dear friend of mine, and as someone who has volunteered a little reluctantly to be our guinea pig for our first installment of Your AT Journey. Thank you so much for hanging out with us today.
LAURA MEDCALF: Thank you for having me.
WADE WINGLER: Do you have a question about assistive technology? Do you have a suggestion for someone we should interview on Assistive Technology Update? Call our listener line at 317-721-7124, shoot us a note on Twitter @INDATAProject, or check us out on Facebook. Looking for a transcript or show notes from today’s show? Head on over to www.EasterSealstech.com. Assistive Technology Update is a proud member of the accessibility Channel. Find more shows like this, plus much more, over at AccessibilityChannel.com. That was your Assistance Technology Update. I’m Wade Wingler with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indiana.
