Making Music
Victoria is a classically trained musician who plays the viola. Due to a childhood bone deformity, she has limited range of motion in her arms and wrists. She has never been able to reach the upper registers, also known as “the heavens,” thus limiting her ability to fully master the viola. Luthier Noah Scott of Seman Violins was able to construct a unique instrument by eliminating one of the upper bouts and narrowing the thickness of the neck, allowing Victoria to literally reach new heights in her playing. Victoria is a student at Illinois State University where she will graduate with a degree in stringed orchestral music. She plays in the University orchestra and teaches children stringed instruments. After graduation, she plans to make a living teaching stringed instruments.
Meet John
John, a registered nurse for the past 40 years, was born with some facial paralysis, causing an inability for one eye to close on its own. As time went on, his overall vision deteriorated. He was informed that the strength of his glasses had reached their maximum benefit. Given that his job requires him to review medical charts to help prepare patients for surgery, his vision is critical. John was crushed by the news that the prognosis for his sight and future employment was poor. Fortunately, his eye doctor gave him information about IATP. John said, “It was like a breath of fresh air. I had hope again.” IATP provided device demonstrations that allowed John to compare features of different devices that would enhance his field of vision. He borrowed equipment from the Device Loan Program and was able to determine which would best suit his needs. John is still able to work in surgery thanks to special software for his computer, a camera that can project the image of documents on a larger computer screen and a big keys keyboard.
Meet Helen
Helen is 96 and has vision loss due to macular degeneration. She was a former seamstress and loved making and wearing beautiful clothing. She shared that her visit to IATP was prompted after someone mentioned she was wearing a red blouse with a pink skirt. She vowed to never let that happen again. Helen received services from three programs on her visit. She tried many devices in the AT Demonstration Center and found a magnifier that she wanted to try in her own home. Through our Device Lending Program she was able to take it with her and trial it for a five week period. The Reuse Program provided her with a free Color Identifier that will ensure that she never again wears pink with red. A trifecta!
Meet Jacob
In January of 2018, Jacob was involved in a vehicle accident that left him with a T3-T4 spinal cord injury. After almost two years of rehab, Jacob could not return to his physically demanding profession as a lineman, so in the fall of 2019 he began his first semester of university studies where he will seek a degree to become a certified public accountant. Limited use of his left arm has made keyboarding, and overall computer access difficult. Jacob was referred to IATP by his Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) counselor for an assistive technology evaluation. He is pictured at his new height adjustable desk, using his laptop equipped with voice recognition software. Jacob is a tall man at 6’3″. Prior to receiving his height adjustable workstation, he didn’t have a single table in his home that was high enough to accommodate his wheelchair, and he was trying to complete his full-time online course load while balancing a computer on his lap. All of Jacob’s equipment was provided to him through the Fast Track Program.