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Renee Dayan, a student at iHOPE, loves to ask Amazon’s Alexa two things: “Alexa, play me Taylor Swift” and “Alexa, play me Justin Timberlake.” With access to the smart device, she and her peers can now do just that and much more, enjoying greater independence in the school’s mock apartment, which was spearheaded by iHOPE's Senior Occupational Therapist/Transition Coordinator, Nora Henry.
The apartment gives students a wide range of ways to interact with environmental controls and flex their independence. They access Alexa through their high-tech communication devices, such as Tobii Dynavox and PRC, as well as other mid-tech voice output communication aids.
“Students love it because they can control their environment, something they maybe didn't have access to in the past,” said Amanda Rubin, Senior AT Member and Occupational Therapist at the school. “They can control their music on Pandora or Spotify, turn on lights in the room, learn about the weather, make phone calls, and much more.”
Teenagers from the upper school use the apartment for OT sessions and when they are practicing specific life skills. iHOPE aims to have students experience what others would in the real world by using an easily accessible and readily available device like Alexa.
“I am excited this is happening because some students are experiencing technological access and environmental control for the first time with the device,” said Rubin. “I am hopeful tech keeps evolving and more places do universal design like we have at our mock apartment.”
“I hope we can be an example for other places to design their spaces with people with disabilities in mind."