Tech Connect program brings seniors and people with disabilities together

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Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities staff member Sarah Hartman shares what Elizabeth Catlin has said on her tablet with Wadsworth Soprema Senior Center member Darlene Spies. Spies was chatting with Catlin, bottom right, and Kalynn Reininger, far left, during today's Tech Connect class at the senior center.

(Ann Norman, special to cleveland.com)

MEDINA, Ohio - When people who can't speak finally find their voices, they tend to try to all talk at once.

That was the case this morning during the Tech Connect class at the Wadsworth Soprema Senior Center, as clients of the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities sat down to chat with senior citizens and other volunteers.

Class members used their voices and their iPads to introduce themselves. As the early excitement wore off, the seniors and the people with disabilities began to hold deeper conversations and learn more about each other.

Connie Hartman, MCBDD assistive technology coordinator, said the class - which is held every other Thursday - gives her clients a chance to hone their conversational skills.

They use their "talkers" - iPads and tablets loaded with special apps that can be personalized with phrases, questions and answers.

At the touch of an icon, people who cannot speak can move beyond communicating their basic needs and wants to holding meaningful, interactive conversations that help them make friends and forge deeper relationships.

"It lowers the barriers and creates friendships," Hartman said.

Hartman and Nancy Likens, director of the senior center, came up with the idea for the program this past winter. It started in February as a six-week class that would allow seniors to improve their technological knowledge while also expanding the communication skills of people with disabilities.

It was designed as a fun way for seniors and people with disabilities to learn to text, email and use social media as a way to build connections and socialize.

It is now an ongoing program that has caught the attention of Tobii Dynavox, a national company that provides touch and eye tracking-based assistive technology for people who have communication and mobility challenges.

Company representatives have attended some of the classes and have listened to feedback from people about what works and what doesn't, Hartman said.

Patti Hetkey, public relations coordinator for the MCBDD, said the agency has made a commitment to providing assistive technology as part of its overall goal of securing employment for its clients and integrating them into the community at large.

"Communication is such a big part of it. Technology has come to the point that it's a solution, so we are investing in it," she said.

The apps used on the "talkers" cost $200 to $300 apiece, Hartman said. So it's important to make sure they are easy to use and serve people's everyday needs.

One of the key advantages of the apps is that they allow people to use tablets - just like everyone else.

James Picota, who can't speak, said he likes using the apps to communicate, because his iPad is "normal." Nearly everyone these days walks around with a smart phone or tablet, so using one to speak with people doesn't seem out of place.

"It creates more similarities than differences," Hetkey said.

Hartman said it is especially important for non-verbal people to find a way to talk and socialize with people who aren't paid staff or family members.

"We have learned that for people with developmental disabilities, learning communication skills is most effective when practiced in the real world and not a classroom," she said.

"For some, this is the first time they have 'talked' to others using their new technology voices," she said.

Finding that voice is just the beginning, though. How to phrase sentences, ask questions and negotiate the give and take of a conversation are all skills non-verbal people have to learn.

That's where the senior citizens come in. "The seniors are so good at conversation," Hartman said.

And the socialization is important for the seniors, too.

"As people get older and retire or move to new communities, they may not have quite as many chances to socialize. If they are not getting out and about each day, they may be missing out on important personal interaction," Likens said.

"We know that seniors who continue to find ways to interact socially live longer, healthier lives than those who become isolated," she said.

While the seniors help their non-verbal classmates improve their conversational skills, the people with disabilities share their technology skills in return.

Many seniors need some coaching to master ever-changing smart technology so that they can send emails, catch up with friends and family on social media, and even schedule medical appointments online.

"My guys have never had the opportunity to teach, so working with the seniors is rewarding for them," Hartman said.

"Just because a person can't do one thing doesn't mean they can't do other things well," she said.

Added Hetkey, "It creates this whole world of independence that didn't exist for them before."

Picota recently asked a volunteer what it's like to be able to talk. That's something most of us take for granted.

"Imagine the frustration of not being able to communicate your feelings," Hetkey said.

"As people in this program have started to have a voice, they have really blossomed," she said.

"Being able to sit in a group and have a typical conversation is just huge," Hartman agreed.

Likens said the program is a great way to connect both seniors and people with disabilities with the community.

"Seeing these two groups support each other brings smiles to everyone's faces. There is a huge sense of accomplishment as we see each person succeed in making new connections and really opening up new ways of communicating and finding independence," Likens said.