TechSummit 2021

KEYNOTE PRESENTER:

Valerie Huhn
Deputy Director, MO Department of Mental Health

BREAKOUT SESSION PRESENTERS:

Stacy Collins
Team Lead, Community Life Engagement, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities

William Darling, PhD
Director, Assistive Technology of Ohio

Dan Davies
Founder & President, AbleLink Smart Living Technologies

James Finley
Executive Director, THS Remote Support

Cristen Reat
Co-founder & Program Director, BridgingApps

Shea Tanis, PhD
Director for Policy and Advocacy, Coleman Institute of Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado

More presenter announcements coming soon…

SESSIONS

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION 

Aftermath of a pandemic: How technology made all the difference

Valery Huhn

2020 will forever be remembered as the year of COVID-19.  Every person in the nation felt the impact … every business, every employer, every person who relies on another person for support.  The impact on caregivers and direct support professionals was unprecedented.  Service providers and the people they support struggled to find new methods of service delivery during intense periods of staff shortages and quarantines that resulted in feelings of isolation and loneliness.  Many explored technology solutions and innovation such as virtual service delivery, telehealth, smart devices and remote supports.  During this session a panel of Missourians will share their journeys from struggles to solutions and the ongoing impact.  The Division of Developmental Disabilities will supplement their stories by outlining the approach from a Technology First state and the progress they have made.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Case studies in assistive technology

Bill Darling, PhD

Assistive Technology of Ohio is a free resource that helps individuals discover ways that technology may help them to thrive in any life situation. Learn about AT Ohio services and some case examples of ways that technology has helped people thrive during this session.

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THS Remote Support Services: Remote Support Case Examples from Ohio

James Finley

As of March 1, 2021 there were 899 people actively receiving some type of Remote Supports in Ohio and approximately 360 of those individuals are served by THS Remote Support Services. We are proud to be help Ohio lead the way by fostering independence and person centered outcomes with the technology based supports that are now available to more individuals than ever.  Come and learn what Remote Supports look like, from start to finish, including from someone using the service themselves.

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Enhancing Independent Transportation for Individuals with Cognitive Disabilities and Others with Special Needs with the WayFinder Ecosystem

Dan Davies

This session will detail several projects in Ohio and neighboring states where the WayFinder Ecosystem has been used to enable independent transportation and greater community access for individuals with cognitive disabilities and others with special needs.  An overview of the accessible transportation technologies will be presented along with success stories from several recently completed pilot projects.  Finally, the session will also preview an ongoing project funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation focused on automated vehicles as part of the Inclusion Design Challenge.

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BridgingApps: Helpful Apps for Enhancing Independence

Cristen Reat

This session will focus on how mobile technology can enhance everyday life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  A variety of apps will be demonstrated, including options for staying organized, understanding money, daily living (including leisure and fun), and more. The apps highlighted will range from free to paid versions with subscription fees and will address a range of needs.  Information will be briefly shared on the use of our app search tool to help participants explore more apps for their unique situation and needs.

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Progress and advances to come: A look at technology use nationally and in Ohio

Shea Tanis, PhD; Stacy Collins

This first half of this session will showcase the progress of Technology First Systems change efforts across the nation and national data demonstrating the increased need for access to technology solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second half of this session will demonstrate the progress and future of Ohio Technology First.

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Schedule

July 22, 2021

July 23, 2021

VENDORS: APPLY HERE

TechSummit Archive

For previous year’s session descriptions, presenter bios, and presentation slides, follow the links below.

2018 TechSummit: Nisonger.osu.edu/2018TechSummit

TechSummit 2.0: Nisonger.osu.edu/TechSummit-2

Keynote:

Valerie Huhn

Valerie Huhn was selected as the Deputy Director for the MO Department of Mental Health effective October 1, 2020.

Ms. Huhn began her tenure in 2000 with the Office of Administration, Division of Budget and Planning as a budget and planning analyst.  She then moved to the Department of Health and Senior Services where she became Chief of the Office of Governmental Policy.  In 2005, she returned to the state’s Division of Budget and Planning to serve as the Section Manager for Health and Human Services before becoming the Division’s Assistant Budget Director.  In September 2014, she was chosen as the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities, for the Department of Mental Health.

Breakout Presenters:

Stacy Collins

Stacy Collins serves as the Assistant Deputy Director within the Division of Policy and Strategic Direction at the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. Stacy is responsible for leading the Quality and Innovation team and in this role, she oversees initiatives aimed to ensure that Ohioans eligible for developmental disabilities services have increased opportunities to live, love, learn, work, and pursue their own life aspirations through state-of-the-art planning, innovative technology, and comprehensive supports that focus on their talents, interests, and skills.

Stacy holds a Master of Social Work degree, which has been instrumental in shaping a career centered around advocacy, support, and the continuous improvement of developmental disability services. Throughout a 21-year tenure in this field, Stacy has been committed to fostering environments where people with developmental disabilities can thrive, leading various projects that drive systemic change and promote best practices within the department. Stacy is passionate about championing policies and programs that prioritize quality care, inclusivity, and innovation, ensuring that the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities remains at the forefront of service excellence.

William Darling, PhD

William T. Darling is the director of Assistive Technology of Ohio, a statewide disability technology program that is part of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University. Dr. Darling received his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Southern Illinois University and his doctorate in rehabilitation education from Ohio State. He has worked in the assistive technology field for over 20 years. He is the former chairman of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and past-president of the Ohio chapter of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals. For eight years he coordinated return-to-work programs for injured workers in the workers’ compensation system and began his career as a social worker for a mental health agency in Columbus. Bill and his wife Jill are the parents of six children and live in Worthington.

Daniel K. Davies

Daniel K. Davies is the Founder and President of AbleLink Smart Living Technologies, LLC in Colorado Springs.  He has been actively involved in research and development of technology for individuals with intellectual and cognitive disabilities for over 25 years.  He has been closely associated with issues important to individuals with disabilities and their families, as his oldest brother John lived with severe intellectual and physical disabilities.  Mr. Davies has directed over 85 research projects focused on technology and cognitive disabilities consequently in 2006 received the Technology Museum of Innovation’s prestigious Katherine M. Swanson Equality award for “pioneering information technology for individuals with cognitive disabilities.”   He has authored over 100 publications, reports and book chapters related to cognitive technology for individuals with disabilities.

James Finley

James (Jimmy) Finley is a Remote Supports and Assistive Technology expert at THS Remote Support Services.  Since 2015, Jimmy has been at the forefront of the next evolution in care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  He has worked with Providers throughout the state of Ohio, as well as many others to bring Remote Supports to the community and has helped hundreds of people increase their independence through the systems he designs.  Jimmy is a 12-year veteran of supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  He has served at every level from Direct Support Professional through Provider Agency Executive Director where he successfully managed offices in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.

Cristen Carson Reat

Cristen Reat is the Co-Founder and Program Director of BridgingApps.org, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston. Cristen’s passion for leveraging the power of mobile device technology to enhance the lives of those with special needs comes from personal experience in trying to assist her son with multiple disabilities.  BridgingApps is the result of that passion and desire to share information and create a platform for other parents, therapists, people with disabilities and professionals to learn best practices from each other. BridgingApps provides resources, education, and information on apps and mobile devices to help people with disabilities target and improve skills and reach their highest levels of physical and cognitive development. BridgingApps was recognized as a Verizon Powerful Answers award winner for Education in 2014.

Cristen holds a M.A. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, graduated from the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and is certified through the Assistive Technology Applications Program at California State University.  She is a proud veteran of the United States Army, where she served as a linguist and has worked in education for fifteen years, most of that time at an educational non-profit.  She has written articles on apps for special needs populations that have appeared in National Down Syndrome Communicator, TechEdge Magazine and Parenting Special Needs Magazine. She is the mother of two sons, one of whom has Down syndrome.

Emily Shea Tanis, PhD

Shea Tanis, Ph.D. is the Director for Policy and Advocacy at the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities at the

University of Colorado. The Institute works to catalyze and integrate advances in technology for people with cognitive disabilities and their families. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in applied cognitive technology, cognitive accessibility, and advancing the rights of people with cognitive disabilities to technology and information access.

Dr. Tanis is also on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where she serves as the PI for the State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Longitudinal Data Project of National Significance funded by the Administration for Community Living, which investigates the determinants of public spending for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services across the United States.