I am an occupational therapist at UCP of Greater Cleveland. As a non-profit, it is crucial to secure funds through grants and community donors to purchase needed items for our facility. It can be difficult to secure wanted items when funds typically go towards the needs of the agency. For my 50th birthday, I would like to raise funds for a passion project of mine and "give back" to my place of employment.

The majority of clients we serve have complex disabilities. Those disabilities impact the way they function on a daily basis. One of my personal goals and missions is to create a space that allows us, practitioners, to trial and pursue the necessary adaptive equipment that best fits our clients' needs. We have a room we currently use, but it is not functional or organized to trial assistive technology. I have been working with the Container Store to get measurements and plan our space with all the necessary components. However, we do not have funds to proceed. I would love more than anything to be able to purchase the needed items to maximize our work area.

The organizational aspect is only phase 1 of my mission and the area I am currently seeking funds. Phase 2 includes purchasing more assistive technology equipment to trial with our clients, but that is a much larger budget. Examples of assistive technology include, but are not limited to: wheelchairs, switches to activate kitchen appliances for clients who cannot manipulate them with their hands, smart technology devices (lights/blinds/doors that turn on using Alexa or Google), computer equipment that allow people to access it using their eyes, verbal commands, or a joystick through their power wheelchair, and many, many more! We cannot do phase 2 without having the space organized first to fit all the items we need to move forward.

I know my goal is high, but it only includes the cost of the organizational system with installation. Any donation is greatly appreciated. I know the clients we currently serve and future clients appreciate it as well!

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

Photos are of clients I serve and families approved use of them. I thought these pictures were a better representation of the use of assistive technology rather than room design.