Grace App Communication wins at WMB Awards 2011

Monday afternoon saw Lisa Domican, founder of Grace App Communication take to the stage of Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel to accept her award as winner of the WMB Big Idea Award 2011.

Lisa wanted – prior to the creation of Grace App - to enable people with a communication difficulty to be able to express themselves independently, through the provision of education and innovative communication technologies. She developed a simple picture communication App which was developed by Games designer Steve Troughton-Smith that allows non verbal people with Autism and other disabilities to communicate effectively, by building semantic sequences from relevant images to form sentences. Her company, Grace App Communication sets out to demonstrate that independent communication support can be affordable, accessible and adaptable

Further information on the event:

Five awards were presented at WMB’s annual Conference & Awards, with Mary Rose Burke, Divisional Pharmacy Manager for Boots Ireland, taking the overall WMB Businesswoman of the Year Award 2011.

Lisa Domican of Grace App Communication won the WMB Big Idea Award for her communication app that allows non-verbal people with Autism and other disabilities to communicate effectively through an affordable, accessible and adaptable medium. Joan Freeman, Pieta House, won the Newstalk WMB Social Entrepreneur of the year Award and Colette Twomey, Clonakilty Blackpudding Co. won the Cisco WMB Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The Microsoft WMB Woman in Technology Award was won by Judith Browne, Product Data Director of Dell Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) based in Dell’s Limerick Facility.

The day-long event included some unique speakers to motivate and inspire including keynote speaker, BBC Dragon Hilary Devey, Founder & CEO of Pall-Ex Group. Well-known Irish broadcaster, writer and columnist Dr. Maureen Gaffney also took to the stage to talk on change management, emotional intelligence and work/life balance.  The theme this year was ‘Success is what you make it’ and the day included a panel discussion and also facilitated networking with IFG Corporate Pensions.

Another iPad finds a good home.

Dear Jen & Geraldine,

I just wanted to thank you both & all at IAA & BPI Telecom who came up with the fabulous idea of recycling old phones for new devices.

We have been collecting phones for about 2 months. We have an exceptional network of amazing family & friends who collected a terrific number of phones in that time, from their friends, in their workplaces, at kids parties, they were phenomenal. And so too, is the help from yourself & Geraldine both.

We are so grateful to all concerned.

Having a child with Autism brings a steep learning curve. When that child is non verbal, this pervasive quietness falls over the house....he is silent, you eventually forget to speak yourself. You don't even notice that you haven't spoken all morning until that first word. The guilt & the desire to communicate drives you to push them, with flash cards, farm animals, books, objects 'Look, Noel....cow, look, Noel cat'. He rarely looks, he doesn't speak. Instead, he hums....& sometimes smiles.....& sometimes cries....& goes about his business.

We wait with bated breath for Noels first words, but until then this iPad represents another chance for us, to bring this child, our sweetheart, into our world. I cannot wait to get him started with the Grace App & see where we go from there. This technology is no longer a disruption to family life but hopefully a great facilitator.

Thanks to every. single. person. who helped us. In the immortal words of the 'Toy Story' aliens. 'We are eternally grateful'

Love,

Ellen
(mother to Noel)

As of last Friday there were 345 registrations with 46 iPads, 3 laptops and 5 iTouch's dispatched. Information is available in the red links above. If you are interested in registering your family or if your school wants to take part email geraldineP@BPI.ie.

165 phones collected, 1 ipad delivered - sheer delight!

Thanks to Jacinta for sharing her story and tips on collecting mobile phones and getting an iPad.

Some time ago I saw the offer of recycling old mobile phones in exchange for technology. I thought it was good but that my grandson, Jonathan, couldn’t benefit from it.  However, just before the holidays his Speech & Language teacher suggested to his mother that the Grace App would be useful to him.  I remembered the IAA offer and decided to start collecting. It turns out that this initiative is open to everyone!

I put it on facebook on July 2nd and then panicked!!!.  How many of my friends on facebook would have old mobile phones lying around?  I was greatly encouraged the next day when a friend told me she had 9 phones, then, disheartened when others who promised phones didn’t follow through.

A friend then set up an 'Old Mobile Phones' page on Facebook and I joined it. Now I felt I had support! I made up posters, distributed them and this brought in some phones, but the best thing I did was to individually contact younger people and ask them to put it on their FB status.

A friend in our group started collecting for her son & she was so successful she had 165 in about 1 week and loads spare for me.  The rest seemed to arrive in large numbers from my younger friends.

I was able to contact Geraldine to arrange Jonathans iPad on August 11th, less than 6 weeks after starting.

Now I am a woman on a mission:- to equip all the children in the ASD unit with ipads!

Wish me luck!!


To join the initiative and get the collection envelopes phone Geraldine on 01 4279790 or email geraldineP@BPI.ie

To date we have sent out 22 iPads, 2 laptops and 2 iTouch's to families who are collecting old mobile phones. Please note there is a relaunch of the iTouch devices and therefore deliveries will be delayed until we can get our hands on the new device on your behalf. Also, this initiative is open to EVERYONE, you don't have to have a special needs child. Everyone is welcome to take part. 

For reycycling purposes old laptops are worth 4 mobile phones, Desktop towers pentium 4 or higher only are worth 3 mobile phones. Max of 2 units allowed per collection.  

Amy gets an iPad.

This is Amy and she has autism. 

We live in Cork and there are nine of us in our family - myself (Stuart),my wife Deirdre and our seven children(Jessica 11, Chloe 10, Jack 8, Christopher 7, Lauren 5, Amy 3 and a half and Sophie 2).

Thanks to Irish Autism Action and help from family and friends we where able to collect 165 old mobile phones to get her an iPad. She is starting out on the road of PECs and uses the Grace App along with a lot more apps for autism.

We would encourage any families out there to start collecting. We started out using Facebook to put the word out and friends soon jumped on board and shared our story. We even had phones posted from England! You would be surprised how many people are willing to help. 

Also, text everyone in your phonebook and keep pestering people. We got two local businesses to come on board so people had some place to drop them. It took us around 2 weeks to collect 165 phones.  

We are still collecting for two more boys with autism! Just keep at it and don't be afraid to ask.

Thanks again to everyone who helped out.

Dee and Stu.

204 families have registered to date. 20 iPads and 2 iTouch's have been delivered. To register for your collection pack email geraldinep@bpi.ie . If you have a query on the initiative please email jen@autismireland.ie .