>>GERRY: IT'S TIME NOW FOR THE BUSINESS OF HEALTH...BROUGHT TO YOU BY HENDRICKS REGIONAL HEALTH.
INNOVATIONS LIKE VOICE-CONTROLLED DEVICES CAN SEEM LIKE FUN ADVANCEMENTS TO MANY...BUT FOR PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES THEY CAN BE LIFE CHANGERS. ONE ORGANIZATION IS ADVOCATING THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES BE
INCLUDED IN THE INTERNET OF THINGS. BARBARA LEWIS HAS MORE IN THE BUSINESS OF HEALTH.
BARB. >>BARB: THANKS, GERRY. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING WE USE IS EMBEDDED WITH SOME SORT OF
TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS US TO CONNECT. HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THE 1 BILLION
PEOPLE LIVING WITH A DISABILITY AREN'T LET BEHIND, IS THE DIRECTOR OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR EASTER SEALS CROSSROADS,
BRIAN NORTON. GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THERE'S ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO
OR HOW MANY MILLION DEVICES THERE WILL SOON BE EMBEDDED WITH TECHNOLOGY? >> 30 BILLION OBJECTS OF
INTERNET OF THINGS DEVICES BY 2020. AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE INTERNET OF THINGS AND BIG BUSINESS,
MANUFACTURING, LOGISTICS AND THOSE THINGS BUT I ARGUABLY THINK IT COULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF THOSE
WITH DISABILITIES. >> HOW DO YOU USE TECHNOLOGY TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES >> EASTER FEELS HAS BEEN
AROUND FOR 80 YEARS DOING PEOPLE -- THINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO MAKE A MORE INDEPENDENT BUT WE HAVE
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT WHERE WE'VE BEEN CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH DEVICES AND EDUCATING THEM ABOUT DIFFERENT
TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE OUT THERE TO HELP THEM BE MORE INDEPENDENT IN THOSE AREAS OF THEIR LIFE. >> YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR
20 YEARS SO YOU'VE SEEN TECHNOLOGY CHANGE QUITE A BIT SO HOW HAS YOUR JOB CHANGED? >> YOU KNOW TECHNOLOGY HAS
BECOME MORE USER-FRIENDLY AND EASIER TO GO SO WHEN I FIRST STARTED IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO HELP PEOPLE GET SET UP.
TECHNOLOGY WAS MORE EXPENSIVE AND NOW TODAY A LOT OF STUFF IS DY I SO DO IT YOURSELF AND YOU CAN FIND LOTS OF TECHNOLOGY OUT
THERE AT BIG BOX HARDWARE STORES IN PLACES LIKE THAT BUT WHEN YOU PUT THOSE THINGS TOGETHER AND USING US TO HELP EDUCATE HOW TO
CONNECT THOSE THINGS YOU CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS FOR FOLKS. >> WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THINGS -- AND MAYBE WITH THE
AREAS THAT MAKE THE MOST IMPACT. >> SO THINGS LIKE MONITORING INDIVIDUALS, THINGS WITH MOBILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS
THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, THINGS IN
YOUR HOME LIKE FIRE ALARMS, SMOKE DETECTORS AND OTHER THINGS THAT SEND ALERT TO YOUR SMART PHONE SO INSTEAD OF HAVING A
DIFFICULT TIME HEARING SOMETHING KNOW YOU GET AN ALERT THAT LET YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S GOING ON AND SAFETY IS A BIG IMPACT THERE
AND MEDICALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE ACTIVITY TRACKERS AND SMART WATCHES AND HEALTHCARE DEVICES
THAT ARE APT CONNECTED FOR INDIVIDUALS YOU ARE PROVIDING REAL-TIME INFORMATION BACK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL SO
THEY CAN BETTER HELP THEM HELP INDIVIDUALS KNOW WHAT TO DO AND PROVIDE BETTER CARE FOR FOLKS. >> A LOT OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS
CAN BE HELPED WITH HEARING AND PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS. >> IF YOU THINK ABOUT VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, AND/OR NAVIGATION
THERE ARE THINGS CALLED IB MODULES YOU CAN PLACE AROUND BUILDINGS TO HELP FOLKS NAVIGATE THROUGH A BUILDING, BRING UP
ALERTS ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE IN THE BUILDING, HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE INDOORS, NOT JUST OUTDOORS SO LOTS OF DIFFERENT
TECHNOLOGIES. >> AND FROM YOUNG CHILDREN TO ELDERLY ADULTS REALLY. >> SO ALL ACROSS THE SPECTRUM
SO ALL AGES. >> GOOD LUCK NAVIGATING THE