DSPs Using and Supporting Technology Use

Enabling Technology Supports Larry to Have More Privacy, Choice, and Independence by Anthony Grindstaff. Two men sit side by side. The man on the left is sitting on a couch in the other man’s house. He is wearing a maroon polo shirt, black pants, a watch, and has short dark hair and a beard and mustache. The man on the right is sitting in a orange and black motorized wheelchair. He has short brownish red hair and beard that is graying. He is wearing black shorts and a white and orange Tennessee Volunteers t-shirt. He is using his left index finger to access the Ipad that is mounted on the right side of the wheelchair.

Self-Determination and Independence through Innovation: How Black Hills Works is Revolutionizing Support with Technology by Chet Tschetter. David’s back is to the camera. He has gray and white hair, is wearing a headset and a dark polo shirt. He is facing and has his hands on a keyboard. He is looking toward the four computer monitors in front of him. The screens all have different information including one screen with images of the inside the home of someone he is supporting.

Supporting Community Safety Online by Destiny Bell. Person is outside looking straight at the camera smiling, looking right at the camera, with dark shoulder length hair, brown eyes, with a smile, blue jean jacket, and a dark top with white strips.

How are Direct Support Professionals Accessing Technology at Work? Results from the Direct Support Workforce and COVID-19 Survey. Figure 1 is a pie chart depicting the percentage of respondents who reported that people they support’s use of technology since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty four percent reported people they support use technology a lot more, 28% use technology some more, 38% use technology the same amount, 5% reported people use technology some less, and 4% use technology a lot less.

. Two people are in a living room. Bekah is closest to the camera. She has short dark hair with several long braids. She is wearing a red, white and gray flannel with a black shirt under neither and dark purple workout pants. She is leaning back slightly in a wheelchair. There is a mount on the front left side of her wheelchair. A computer is mounted to the mount. A DSP is standing on the right side of Bekah. She is holding a Plexi-glass letter board between Bekah’s face, and the computer. Bekah is looking at the letterboard and the DSP is looking at the computer. The DSP has short dark hair and wears dark pants and a black and gray flannel.Bekah's Voice Is Being Heard! by Bekah Larko

Anita Uses Technology at Work to Help Her Learn and Excel at Her Job by Pat Weaver. Anita and Pam are standing in front of the counter at the Taco Bell that Anita works at. Anita is on the left, she has a large smile and is giving the camera a thumbs up. She has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing plastic rimmed glasses, a black Taco Bell long sleeve tee-shirt and black pants. She has a black lanyard with a pink device hanging near her waist. Pam is on the right, she is smiling and giving the camera a thumbs up. She has slight brown shoulder-length hair, plastic frame glasses, and is wearing a purple tee-shirt, a silver ring and watch on her left hand.

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, Making a World of Difference in People's Lives, and Research and Training Center on Community Living, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota

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