The Comcast Foundation Marks Third Year Supporting Nationwide Easter Seals Assistive Technology Programs to Improve Quality of Life for Individuals with Disabilities
Updates: here are some links related to this story:
A video blogger’s take on the event (It’s pretty cute; he brought his son)
How the Baby to Boomer lifestyle blog saw the event
Here’s how The SeaTac Blog saw the event
Our thanks to Easter Seals Washington for this material, which was shared at an event today in SeaTac at the Easter Seals Child Development Center:
Easter Seals Washington has been named one of six nationwide recipients of the 2014-2015 Comcast Assistive Technology Grant Fund. As an award winner, Easter Seals Washington will receive $25,000 to launch the Mobile Technology Lab, a project that reaches children between the ages of two and five that show, through an Ages & Stages Questionnaire® Assessment, that they will benefit from extra education and small group intervention.
Our Mobile Technology Lab instructor will use iPads and award winning apps vetted through the BridgingApps Program to have the children complete exercises and play games that will sharpen skills and help them quickly catch up with their peers in reaching social and communication milestones.
The Mobile Technology Lab is a natural wrap-around service to the accredited, inclusive care being offered at Easter Seals Washington’s three Seattle area child development centers. All children enrolled in the centers are provided with individual assessments and education plans. The Mobile Technology Lab instructor and classroom teachers will work together to maximize the children’s learning time, both in the new sessions and throughout the day in their regular early learning classrooms.
Established in 2012, the Comcast Assistive Technology Grant Fund empowers individuals living with disabilities by expanding assistive technology training and services available to them. To date, the fund has helped an estimated 25,000 Americans. Easter Seals Washington is one of five nationwide affiliates, as well as the Easter Seals Headquarters, selected by Comcast for excellence in programs that guide consumers on assessment, training and on-going support. Individuals benefitting from this grant include children and adults living with developmental disabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as veterans overcoming challenges associated with reintegration. This is the first year that Easter Seals Washington has received the grant.
“Assistive technologies can greatly improve the lives of people with disabilities by helping them to overcome barriers at home, work, school and in their community,” said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment at Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation. “We are proud to support Easter Seals Washington through this grant and make a positive impact, one person at a time.”
Cathy Bisaillon, Easter Seals Washington President & CEO, adds, “The Comcast Foundation is a perfect partner as we spread awareness to Make the First Five Count by monitoring children’s early development. With Comcast’s support, we will help children over small hurdles now so that they are well positioned for grade school and beyond. Working parents love the fact the program is free of charge and that it takes place during their child’s typical school day.”
About Easter Seals Washington
Every year, Easter Seals Washington provides services to more than 4,100 children and adults with disabilities across Washington state, helping individuals with disabilities and their families live better lives. Whether helping someone simply gain greater independence for everyday living or secure employment, Easter Seals Washington offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals. For more information about programs and services visit www.easterseals.com/washington.
About the Comcast Foundation
The Comcast Foundation was founded by Comcast Corporation in June 1999 to provide charitable support to qualified non-profit organizations. The Foundation primarily invests in programs intended to have a positive, sustainable impact on their communities. The Foundation has three community investment priorities—promoting service, expanding digital literacy, and building tomorrow’s leaders. Since its inception, the Comcast Foundation has donated more than $143 million to organizations in the communities nationwide that Comcast serves. More information about the Foundation and its programs is available at www.comcast.com/community.
