Assistive Technology Campaign
Life Bridges is an accredited Technology First agency.
The Assistive Technology Campaign is raising funds for our acquisition of equipment, training and Assistive Technology resources for the people served by Life Bridges.
Life Bridges is one of the nine provider agencies across Tennessee who has been accepted into the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Enabling Technology Accreditation Program. The department launched their pilot program in 2017, and since has partnered with Shift which provides training and accreditation for people and agencies looking to use technology to help people with disabilities become more independent.
Life Bridges leadership and support staff will begin their training March 2021, and over the next few months will complete training on the fundamentals of enabling technology, person centered practices, and their role in supporting the person in adding technology to their current routines. During this process, Life Bridges leadership will be creating a Technology Plan, which will lay out how the services will be implemented within the agency. As part of the process, Life Bridges has committed to helping up to fifteen people currently in services to develop their own technology plan and identify technology they wish to utilize.
Frequently called “Assistive Technology”, these plans and services can include anything from sensors, to phone apps, to smart home devices. The goal of the service is to use this technology to identify areas of a person’s life where technology can be used in place of or alongside paid support, allowing the person to participate more actively in their day to day activities. Life Bridges hope is that this program will allow the agency to continue to succeed in their mission – to bridge the gap for people with disabilities, and to be one of the many voices advocating for increased independence for those they support.
Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others .– BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
