EQLAccess

The EQLAccess Internet Home for People with Disabilities is an innovative demonstration of technology being adapted to enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Patients at the Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara (RISB) will have an opportunity to explore a variety of technologies that exhibit the potential to increase a patient's personal control over his or her living environment, provide remote home access for caregivers, and monitor the overall security of the home environment.

This research and development project was initially funded by the Christopher Reeves Paralysis Foundation

Within the comfort of RISB's care giving environment, patients will participate in a guided interaction with cutting edge assistive technology adapted for their home management needs. Patients are able to experience an increased sense of safety and feel the personal satisfaction of being in control over a wide range of devices such as lighting, heating, cooling, opening and securing doors, and other daily living activities.

Patients will be given an opportunity to evaluate how home automation technologies can best work in their individual situation. This lays the foundation for patients to attain competency in managing their personal residence, acquire the pride associated with an increased degree of self sufficiency, and the status of being on the leading edge of technology.

Caregivers will be able to assess the increased level of daily contact offered with remote home access and take comfort that their care can extend beyond their physical presence in the residence.
With the goal of enhancing the quality of life for all individuals with disabilities, the EQLAccess Internet Home for People with Disabilities reaches out beyond the hospital's walls. This future exhibit will allow non-patients online and in-person access to unique adaptations of advances in technology related assistance.

Questions and Answers About the EQLAccess Technology Initiative

Q. What is the technology initiative at the Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara?
A. The technology initiative, titled EQLAccess, is a proof of concept incubator for the adaptation of advances in information technology related assistance to enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

Q. What is the meaning of the acronym E Q L ?
A. The three letters are a symbol for "equal access to an enhanced quality of life". The acronym E Q L not only stands for Enhance Quality of Life, but it also expresses a phonetic sound for "Equal".

Q. Why is the Rehabilitation Institute evaluating advanced technologies?
A. Since its inception over 30 years ago, the vision of the hospital has been to replace disabilities with abilities. We have always had a technology or bioengineering component to our work as a specialized acute care hospital. To better serve our patients, we are positioning our EQLAccess program on the front edge of changes in the Internet, wireless technologies and artificial intelligence. With the specialized training, new tools and applications to speed recovery and aid adaptation to impairment, eliminating handicap will become a reality.

Q. What is the focus of EQLAccess technology initiative?
A. The project focuses on three primary environments and combinations of networks for people with disabilities:

• The first is the rehabilitation hospital environment. Here technology is being evaluated and tested for the assessment and treatment of patients
• The second is the extending the hospital to the home environment and giving the patients access to hospital services from home. Here technology is being evaluated and tested to maintain interaction between patients, caregivers and hospital staff.
• The third environment is home to community. The goal here is to decrease or eliminate handicap within the home and to increase access to the community.