|
Our History
|
|
The tragedy began back in the late 1980s. A healthy young man with a promising future was involved in a devastating road accident that changed his life forever. Suffering from severe brain damage and facing a near-death situation, Christopher went into a deep coma.
|
|
|
The medical prognoses were discouraging and Christopher's chances to live were very slim. Despite little hope of any possible recovery, we - Christopher's family - tried every possible means to produce a reaction, desperately looking for a response, a sign of consciousness. After four years of intensive sensory stimulation while in a coma, Christopher's eyes opened for the first time.
When he began to emerge from the coma and started to respond to external stimuli, we found hope again. In the course of time, he was able to move his arms and legs, and reach for objects. Before long we were able to remove his nasal tube and began feeding him by mouth. Christopher recovered to a point where he has gained full consciousness and has limited motor capacities. He is able to read and comprehend what he hears. However, he lost his ability to speak.
|
Christopher's inability to communicate with his family and friends was a source of immense frustration and a substantial barrier to his recovery. We spent several years researching, evaluating and adapting all kinds of augmentative and alternative communication devices and technologies. Ultimately, we wound up designing our very own assistive solutions.
Today Christopher uses Vocalize® on his computer and writes messages to his heart's content. He expresses his basic needs aloud to his family and caregivers via synthesized speech, sends emails and "chats" on the phone with friends.
|
|
To our delight, Christopher's results were extraordinary and his progress stunning over the years. Our tools have given him a sense of independence and control he did not have before. Assistive Technology has changed his life.
Because of this difficult yet rewarding experience, we were convinced that others with similar needs could undoubtedly benefit from the rehabilitation tools we built for Christopher. With a personal commitment to serving people with disabilities, and the belief that technology can make a difference, we founded
rehabtool.com.
|
|
Our Mission
|
|
rehabtool.com's mission is to help children and adults with disabilities enhance their lives, increase their independence and productivity, and gain greater social inclusion through leading-edge assistive and adaptive technology.
rehabtool.com is an information technology company that develops and markets innovative hardware and software integrated into solutions to assist individuals with disabilities and special needs. We also offer many free unique services including:
- a personalized Product Search & Referral service to help you choose appropriate assistive technology solutions and locate product vendors.
- a quarterly Newsletter to keep abreast of assistive technology developments.
- access to our AT Links Library, a comprehensive collection of links to the largest assistive technology catalogs, databases and vendor directories in North America.
Delivering world-class assistive technology products and services to enable the disAbled is truly the foundation for our organization. We are committed to providing superior customer value while making a positive contribution to the world. We are a member of the Alliance for Technology Access and a volunteer member of the World Association of Persons with Disabilities. Each year we contribute a percentage of our profits to health, medical and educational causes. Learn more...
At rehabtool.com we are dedicated to meeting your immediate and long-term rehabilitation needs. Please feel free to contact us while you are visiting our site. We look forward to hearing from you.
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
HIGHLIGHTS
Jan 1, 2003
RehabTool.com now distributes the award winning video "ENABLE: People with Disabilities and Computers". Learn More
June 1, 2001
RehabTool.com is featured in June's edition of Enabled Online.com, in an article entitled "One Story, One Mission: One family's push to help others...". Full story
March 18, 2001
RehabTool.com joins the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA). Learn more
Jan. 25, 2001
RehabTool.com becomes a selected resource of the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS). Learn more
Dec. 10, 2000
RehabTool.com launches the Assistive Technology Online Community, a public discussion forum for sharing information on Assistive Technology. Learn more
Nov. 8, 2000
RehabTool.com receives the Editor's Choice Award from HealingWell.com. Learn more
Sept. 5, 2000
RehabTool.com launches the Assistive Technology WebRing. Learn more
Aug. 28, 2000
RehabTool.com becomes a vendor member of the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA). Learn more
June 21, 2000
RehabTool.com is awarded Pick of the Week by the Library in the Sky. Learn more
June 16, 2000
RehabTool.com receives the Bobby seal of approval for its web site accessible to people with disabilities. Learn more
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
