Envisioning Access

Envisioning Access is first and foremost, an organization dedicated to providing adults living with physical disabilities new technologies so they may gain independence and self-empowerment to live life as they choose. The boston based organization, originally known as helping hands: monkey helpers, was founded in 1979 to raise and train capuchin monkeys to administer daily in-home assistance to people living with physical disabilities. Today as Envisioning Access we have transitioned from a service animal model to establishing an innovative technology initiative. Through the innovative technology initiative, we are building pilot projects that involve our recipients, who are expertly advising companies and researchers developing technologies as real-world solutions that provide Access to employment, educational, health, and socialization opportunities. We are focusing on the various uses of augmented/virtual reality, as well as, different types of assistive robotic technologies to enhance our clients' quality of life.innovative technology initiative:the goal of our new innovative technology initiative is to offer new technologies, now coming on the market at a rapid pace, that help empower individuals with physical disabilities to live more independent and engaged lives. As when we trained service monkeys from the 1980s through the mid-2000s, our goal today is to provide tools that allow individuals with physical disabilities to have opportunities to pursue meaningful careers, advanced educational degrees, and fulfilling personal lives. Through the innovative technology initiative, we are looking to take the 40+ years of experience, intellectual property, and insights we have gained in service to the disability community and offer it in collaboration with robotics, ar, vr, and ai research organizations, firms, and service providers.the innovative technology initiative serves as the hub of all the organization's pilot projects, vetting each project and ensuring that each pilot meets the stringent criteria Envisioning Access requires. The innovative technology initiative is the core of the work at Envisioning Access. To continue the dynamic transition, we are: engaging in research of technology that is available in the areas of robotics and virtual reality; looking for ways to influence the development of new technologies that are important to those living with physical disabilities; bringing on advisory committees with experts in the field to advise us on technologies that are available for those living with physical disabilities and/or may be looking to invent technology for those living with physical disabilities; relying on its institutional knowledge of how the organization has trained the monkeys and what their recipient's need as they transition to a new phase; collaborating with technology companies, universities, entrepreneurs as well as new recipients to experiment with robotics and virtual reality that will aid individuals living with a physical disability; considering specific new technologies that could include different types of robotics arms, exoskeletons, adaptive wheelchairs, and assistive technologies.additionally, we are providing health and wellness care for all our retired monkeys in a state-of-the art care facility. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all our post-service monkeys until the end of their natural lives including those in our monkey living center, those still with recipients as well as the capuchins in special care/foster homes.