Benefits of Assistive Technology
Dan Lewis Foundation | Winter 2023

How people live and work has changed dramatically over the past decades as technology is now seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. From television remotes, computers, GPS systems, doorbell cameras, and the like, we have all moved towards dependence on technology. For many individuals with disabilities, the use of assistive technology (AT) to participate in social activities and activities of daily living (like bathing, eating, dressing, communicating, and moving from place to place) has also increased. In 1998, Congress passed the Assistive Technology Act (P.L. 105-394), which made provisions for persons with developmental or acquired disabilities to access AT that can effectively decrease barriers found in everyday life while increasing access to and improving the quality of life.


In 2004, Congress amended the Assistive Technology Act (P.L. 108-364), noting that 54 million Americans had disabilities, with half of those individuals living with a severe disability. Federal law describes AT as any item that can maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a person with a disability.


As technology has become more sophisticated, so too have the AT tools that can be used to improve the lives of those with disabilities. The best AT tools and strategies are determined by the needs and goals of the individual, in conjunction with family members and care providers. The population of individuals needing AT is diverse and covers a wide range of disabilities. For some, the needs may be AT that has been used for decades, like eyeglasses, hearing aids, and communication boards. Others may need sophisticated tools such as speech-generating devices or equipment to assist positioning and mobility. Assessing individual needs is key to finding the right AT. To the greatest extent possible, every individual needing AT should participate in establishing and implementing an AT plan. There are multiple considerations to address in establishing an AT plan, including what barriers to independence need to be overcome or removed, what supports are necessary for functional progress, how can communication be assisted to increase options and opportunities for social interaction and participation, and what plans can be established for adapting activities and materials needed to encourage active engagement. As much as possible, the individual should help assess what is working or not working in their AT plan and help the AT specialist to generate potential solutions to problems that arise. Over time, plans will need to be updated and changed to correspond with changes in current levels of functioning. Therefore, AT needs and tools should be reassessed regularly to address current goals. Benefits of Assistive Technology Individuals with significant brain injuries often benefit from AT. It is essential to determine specific areas of need that may benefit from AT, including physical, sensory, cognitive, communication, academic, environmental control, social competence, vocational, and recreational. The person experiencing brain injury, their family, therapists, educators, rehabilitation engineers, physicians, and caretakers all may play a part in determining AT solutions. Finding therapists and caretakers knowledgeable about the implementation of AT and who can work on both short and long-term goals holds the most promise for reintegrating those with disabilities into purposeful life activities. Certified AT specialists can be found through the following link: https://www.resna.org/


The process of obtaining an initial AT evaluation and accessing AT equipment or devices is not always easy. It may help to contact your state’s brain injury association and check their website (a state-by Support The Dan Lewis Foundation when you shop at smile.amazon. Thank you to our amazing donors! state listing of brain injury associations is included in this newsletter). Additionally, every state has an AT project that is funded as part of the federal guidelines established in 1998 and can be accessed through: https:// askjan.org/concerns/State-Assistive-Technology-Projects.cfm 


A child’s school team may have an AT specialist, or there may be a school district-wide AT specialist who should be called upon. For any student with special needs (including students with severe brain injuries), AT needs should be considered in forming an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or 504 plan. For an adult, a care coordinator may help find resources to meet AT needs. Alternatively, the individual’s medical team may be helpful, particularly occupational and physical therapists. Funding sources for equipment and devices vary from state to state, given that different agencies may bear responsibility for AT in different states. Again, it may be best to contact your state’s brain injury association to find an advocate, “system navigator,” or referral specialist who can steer you toward funding sources for AT. It is vital for family members or other advocates for the individual with a severe brain injury to be assertive in identifying and procuring the AT resources that are needed.



Kristen Gray M.A., ECE, ATP is an assistive technology specialist 

DLF Science Advisory Board Spotlight

By Dan Lewis Foundation | Spring 2024 • 11 Apr, 2024
Graham Dempsey, Ph.D., is a founder and Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Quiver Bioscience, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company focused on the development of medicines for disorders of the nervous system. Dr. Dempsey and his team are working to develop treatments for some of the most challenging unsolved medical issues patients and their families face. Using advanced technologies in human stem cell biology, optogenetics, machine learning, and drug screening, progress is being made to develop medicines that will one-day treat conditions that have been largely untreatable. As the lead scientist for Quiver, formerly Q-State Biosciences, Dr. Dempsey enjoys working with world-class teams to invent, develop, and apply cutting-edge technologies to solve the most difficult challenges in biopharma for the betterment of patients. Dr. Dempsey’s inspiration to dedicate his professional life to science and medicine started at the early age of seven with the tragic loss of his father to an aggressive form of cancer, an experience that has deeply motivated him to this day. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and his doctorate at Harvard University. As a graduate student in the biophysics program at Harvard Medical School, he co-developed ‘Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy’ or STORM , a light microscope with the ability to resolve nanometer (billionth of a meter, e.g. a hair is 100,000 nanometers thick) scale details of biological materials, an achievement that had been thought to be impossible for over a century. STORM has enabled what researchers call ‘super-resolution imaging’ for visualizing the intricate details of life’s most fundamental unit, the cell. Understanding the inner workings of a cell provides a path to a deeper understanding of the ways in which life is constructed and diseases can manifest. The technology was commercialized by Nikon Instruments for researchers worldwide. Dr. Dempsey left academic science to join Q-State Biosciences as the first hired employee with the goal of bringing advanced technologies developed at Harvard to the study of the brain. The brain, arguably the most complex structure in the known universe, works through electrical communication between brain cells or neurons. This communication is disrupted in all brain disorders but has been near impossible to study for the purposes of effectively developing medicines. Dr. Dempsey and his team over the course of ten years built a technology system that creates human brain models from patient stem cells (i.e. a ‘disease-in-a-dish’) and converts electrical activity of those brain cells into light signals that can be detected with ultra-sensitive microscopes. The resulting signals are analyzed using machine learning to find the patterns of how electrical activity is altered in disease, which can be used to find medicines that correct those changes. The team at Quiver is deploying this technology to take on previously untreatable brain conditions, including rare genetic diseases, such as certain seizure and neurodevelopmental disorders, to common conditions, such as chronic pain and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Dempsey’s passion outside of science starts with his family, his wife (and high school sweetheart) and three young daughters, be it traveling the globe to experience new cultures (or simply stare at the ocean), cooking elaborate meals on a Saturday evening, night-time reading of novels to his daughters, or attending live music around Boston. As a native of NJ, he celebrates his roots with visits to family near the Jersey Shore and, whenever possible, attendance at Springsteen concerts and Giants games. Dr. Dempsey is an avid student of history’s great entrepreneurs, spending the sparse remaining minutes of the day reading biographies and listening to podcasts, looking to extract every bit of learning towards taking on the challenges of building a great business while staying true to his family, his Quiver teammates, and his professional mission.

Sheryl’s Story

By Dan Lewis Foundation | Spring 2024 • 11 Apr, 2024
Sheryl Suzanne Nibbs, a legal secretary in a top law firm, started the process of becoming a paralegal as she approached her 40th birthday. She was fancy in her appearance, always making sure her hair, nails, and clothing were in order, a well-kept person, an avid traveler, and her mother’s best friend.
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