Changing Lives with Smart Technologies

01/03/22 • 42 min

AbleLink Smart Living Technologies was founded in 1997 with one goal in mind, to allow people with cognitive delays and challenges to live independent and fulfilling lives. In addition to being a firm focused on research and development, they offer four core solutions - Wayfinder, Atlas, the Smartliving Desktop Suite, and Smartliving Mobile Suite.

Like many of you, Dan's been personally impacted. His oldest brother had intellectual and physical disabilities. He has one goal in mind, to allow people with cognitive barriers to use technology in everyday life. AbleLink is meant to help people with disabilities engage in their communities and live independent lives.

Website: https://www.ablelinktech.com/

Twitter: @AbleLinkTech

Phone: 719.592.0347

Email: [email protected]

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

For more information about True North Disability Planning you can find us here:

Web: https://truenorthdisabilityplanning.com/

Blog - https://ejorgensenwordpresscom.wordpress.com

Podcast (ABC's of Disability Planning) - https://anchor.fm/abcs-disability-planning

Waypoints - https://waypoints.substack.com/

Facebook: @TrueNorthDisabilityPlanning

Twitter: @NeedsNavigator

Resource store (free downloads too) - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/True-North-Disability-Planning

Website: https://www.ablelinktech.com/

Twitter: @AbleLinkTech

Phone: 719.592.0347

Email: [email protected]

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

For more information about True North Disability Planning you can find us here:

Web: https://truenorthdisabilityplanning.com/

Blog - https://ejorgensenwordpresscom.wordpress.com

Podcast (ABC's of Disability Planning) - https://anchor.fm/abcs-disability-planning

Waypoints - https://waypoints.substack.com/

Facebook: @TrueNorthDisabilityPlanning

Twitter: @NeedsNavigator

Resource store (free downloads too) - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/True-North-Disability-Planning

Previous Episode

Howard County (MD) Autism Society with Melissa Rosenberg

The Autism Society of America was founded in 1965 by Bernard Rimland and Ivar Lovaas together with Ruth C. Sullivan and a small group of other parents of children with autism. Its original name was the National Society for Autistic Children; the name was changed to emphasize that children with autism grow up. The headquarters is in Rockville, Maryland. There are (75) chapters throughout the United States.

Melissa Rosenberg is the Executive Director of the Howard County Autism Society in Maryland. This interview is a bit different in that I am highlighting a local agency. Melissa and her small team of professionals are doing amazing work. My goal is to highlight what's possible for other chapters, like-minded organizations, and families.

Website: https://howard-autism.org/ Email: [email protected]

Phone: 410-290-3466

Facebook: @HowardCountyAutismSociety

Twitter: @HCASociety

Instagram: @hocoautism1

Like many nonprofits, it was started by parents to address a gap they saw. It's grown into a very robust support organization. They support local families through information & referral, Autism Hiring Program, Communication Boards for local school playgrounds, and much more. As Melissa and I talked I was reminded how it's often not a lack of resources, but rather a lack of awareness on the part of families, that gets in the way. Parents are overwhelmed. Many don't know what questions they should be asking or what type of help they may need. It reinforced my belief more needs to be done to raise awareness, which is exactly what my podcast & YouTube channel is meant to do. You can help fellow parents by sharing the content and information about the organizations featured. You never know who may benefit.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

For more information about True North Disability Planning you can find us here:

Web: https://truenorthdisabilityplanning.com/

Blog - https://ejorgensenwordpresscom.wordpress.com

Podcast (ABC's of Disability Planning) - https://anchor.fm/abcs-disability-planning

Waypoints - https://waypoints.substack.com/

Facebook: @TrueNorthDisabilityPlanning

Twitter: @NeedsNavigator

Resource store (free downloads too) - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/True-North-Disability-Planning

Next Episode

TrueLink - Fostering Financial Independence with Technology

What leads a serial tech entrepreneur to start a Financial Services company designed to help seniors, people in recovery, and people with cognitive challenges? The same that drives so many of us - a personal experience and a desire to fix a broken system. Kai's grandmother lived with Alzheimer's, which led to a loss of independence.

Website: https://www.truelinkfinancial.com/

Phone (for those w/o a card yet): 1-844-904-6515

Email (for those w/o a card yet): [email protected]

Facebook: @truelinkfin

TrueLink offers a reloadable Visa with customizable spending rules. Individuals can set limits to how much may be spent and where someone can shop. As I shared in the interview, I didn't know they existed until recently. TrueLink was started in 2012, and I didn't get my son his card until 2021. Up until then I was buying reloadable Visa cards and using an Excel spreadsheet to track his spending.

TrueLink's website makes this much easier. I find the dashboard to be simple to use. Kai highlights his Customer Support Team as the company's "crown jewel". He credits their strength in listening and asking questions as the reason the company offers many of the services they've expanded into - like not allowing the card to be used at grocery stores.

The website has a robust FAQ, so Kai and I don't spend too much time in the weeds. I wanted to understand more about who he is, and what makes him tick. His vision for the world really resonates with me. One quote sticks out more than the rest. "Every animal is born with the skills they need to survive. Humans are born with the ability to ask for help."

Very frequently I'm told my son/daughter/sibling is incapable of managing their money. My own son has challenges with understanding this concept, it can be pretty abstract. TrueLink gives us, as caregivers, the ability to allow our loved ones to be "independent" with a safety net.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

For more information about True North Disability Planning you can find us here:

Web: https://truenorthdisabilityplanning.com/

Blog - https://ejorgensenwordpresscom.wordpress.com

Podcast (ABC's of Disability Planning) - https://anchor.fm/abcs-disability-planning

Waypoints - https://waypoints.substack.com/

Facebook: @TrueNorthDisabilityPlanning

Twitter: @NeedsNavigator

Resource store (free downloads too) - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/True-North-Disability-Planning