Summit DD is committed to supporting people to live as independently as they want. In some cases, this is made possible using technology. Remote supports and assistive technology are two options that can provide more autonomy and safety for adults with developmental disabilities. Find out how Summit DD and our partners plan to use a grant to fulfil this goal.
Summit DD’s SMART Home
As a Technology First state, Ohio is paving the way with new possibilities. Summit DD has a collaborative technology workgroup made up of internal staff, people with lived experience, and partners such as TechVrse, and Ladd Inc. Our belief in technology-enabled supports led to the development of our SMART Home here in Summit County. Summit DD’s SMART Home is a working tech-enabled home where individuals can explore how technology may be able to assist them. But that is just part of the story. Technology solutions are wonderful, but how do you determine which solutions are right for each individual? That’s where DODD’s Innovative Technology Solutions Grant come in.
Innovative Technology Solutions Grant
To provide tech-enabled supports to more people, Summit DD, along with Advocacy and Protective Services, Inc. (APSI), applied for and were awarded a 2-year Innovative Technology Solutions Grant from DODD in the amount of $195,000. This grant will pilot a technology assessment tool for more than 140 adults served by both APSI and Summit DD in Summit County and help determine which needs can be addressed through technology solutions.
Summit DD and APSI believe that this partnership can address barriers by educating team members and methodically reviewing people’s circumstances to identify the technology solutions that can meet their unique needs.
Technology Support Assessment
Working with national experts, their Summit DD teams and their APSI guardians, individuals will use a tech assessment tool (developed by Shiftability, LLC and Xavier University students) to uncover potential gaps, information and remote support recommendations based on their unique situation and preferences.
Summit DD’s Senior Manager of Service and Support Administration, Jennifer Hudak, has high hopes for the tech assessment tool pilot. “Through this, we can learn more about technology-enabled supports and apply what we learn [from this pilot] to other people’s team meetings in the future,” Hudak shared. “Our hope is that this extraordinary effort now will become the standard operation to help make a positive impact in people’s independence and access to community,” she added.
The grant-funded pilot will run through June 30, 2025.
