Assistive Technology in Action - Meet Nick

The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) and PACER Center are pleased to announce the release of our new assistive technology awareness series, AT in Action. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), this fully-captioned video series is designed to strengthen awareness of AT devices that help individuals with disabilities participate fully in school, at home, and in the community. In this fourth video, you'll meet Nick, a young man with cerebral palsy who uses an adapted van to drive and runs his own lawn care business. We invite you to view and share this video with your colleagues and the families you serve.

Learn more at:
PACER Center: www.pacer.org
FCTD: www.fctd.info
FHI 360: www.fhi360.org/

Technology Nick uses includes:

Adapted Van
- Modified steering wheel with control knob
- Custom accelerator and brake pedals
- Automatic wheelchair ramp
- Electronic starter
- Switch interface for controlling signals, wipers, and lights

The Switch interface Nick uses is built into his head rest and plays a series of tones while he holds the button down. If he releases the button after 4 tones it turns on or off the wipers. If he releases the button after 2 tones it turns on or off the right signal.

Additional Technology:

- Homemade slide board with a laptop
- Homemade slide board with an iPad
- Adapted ride on lawn mower