| TECH EDGE
By John M. Williams
One of the joys of working in the field of Assistive Technology is you get to meet people who see a person with a disability being challenged and decide to address that need. Entrepreneurs Myron Alexander, through his company ease of Life Products, and Rob Mayben, through his desktop desk, are making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities in just this way.
Alexander is a social entrepreneur, innovator and educator with a background in education and human services. He maintains a lifelong passion for advocating on the behalf of people with disabilities.
In January of 2007, Alexander formed Ease of Life Products, LLC (EOLP), based in Larchmont. New York, which melded his passion with his mission to create a sustainable, responsible business that addresses social needs. The purpose of EOLP is to develop safe, simple and effective assistive devices designed for daily living to the aged and people with disabilities so that they can experience greater independence.
EOLP’s initial product offering is the Minishopper Model 410, a portable and collapsible side-mounting frame made to attach to a variety of wheelchairs. Model 410 frame is the first in a series, designed to accommodate a number of alternative accessories and attachments such as bags, luggage, computer laptop cases and hospital IV poles to suit the needs of end users, caretakers as well as businesses, facilities and institutions serving people with disabilities.
“I developed the Model 410 because I observed a gentleman in a local supermarket in a wheelchair having a difficult time collecting his groceries,” says Alexander. “It did not seem logical to me that with all of the modifications to the physical plant, wider aisle and checkout lanes, lower profile checkout counters and displays, etc., that there were no tools available for people with disabilities such as wheelchair users. I made my observation known to my sister who agreed with me that although most public places—supermarkets, malls, amusement parks, etc.—allow for equal access for people with disabilities, very few offer the tools they need to allow for equal participation. After some preliminary research and challenging by my sister, I decided to try to make my small contribution to others via Ease of Life Products.”
In10 years in research and development on the Model 410, EOLP has worked collaboratively with NASA’s Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP); The Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science; AZtech, Center for Assistive Technology; and The Wisconsin Innovation Service Center.
EOLP Model 410 will be out in March 2010. Its web site is www.easeoflife.com/.
Rob Mayben is a special education teacher in Sonora, California. Several years ago, a student was placed in his special education math/woodshop and was unable to actively and independently participate. Since that time, Mayben developed an assistive device that helped his student and others become more independent at home, school, work, and even during family outings. His device is called the Desktop Desk (www.desktopdesk.com/).
Mayben says, “Over the past several years I have worked with school districts, universities, parents, students, special education agencies, hospitals, and more to help further the development of the Desktop Desk.” His goal is to provide disabled individuals greater opportunities for access, independence, and the ability to actively participate while building confidence and enthusiasm.
The Desktop Desk provides opportunities and access for individuals who have orthopedic impairments, fine motor deficits, visual impairments, hyperactivity and focus limits, and more. It benefits individuals with disabilities on many different levels. It does the small things, like helping provide individuals with hyperactive and autistic tendencies the means to focus and participate, while also providing severely disabled students who can’t speak, have limited motor skills, and a full time adult aide the ability to independently participate in classes and activities to the best of their ability.
A video shows the Desktop Desk being used by one of his students and how the Desktop Desk sets up.
John M. Williams writes frequently for Action. He can be reached at jmmaw@ verizon.net.
