IPAT Home First Showroom
At IPAT, we know that people experiencing the effects of aging and those with disabilities need to find different ways to do things. That is why we created the Home First Showroom in Fargo, the Home First Showroom app, and the Home First Showroom YouTube Channel.
These different ways to do things are often accomplished using assistive technology (AT), and we love to help people find the AT they need. For example, someone with arthritis may need to use a roll-about to get a pot of water to the stove, an individual with vision loss may need to place their mail under an electronic magnifier to read it independently, someone with a hearing impairment may need to use an amplified phone, or an individual with mobility loss may use an EZ-cane to climb stairs.
To help inform the people of North Dakota about the power of AT, IPAT created a unique Home First Showroom in Fargo, in October of 2013. It consists of a “real home” environment with a kitchen, living room, bedroom, dining room, bathroom and den. Each area boasts AT devices typical to that space which visitors are encouraged to try out. Unlike any other AT demonstration site in the nation, the Home First Showroom lets people use the devices in a home setting to see how they could work in the context of their own home. Anyone is welcome to call the Fargo office to set-up a Showroom tour; this is an IPAT service provided at no charge.
For those unable to travel to Fargo, in June of 2014 IPAT released the IPAT’s Home First Showroom app for iOS devices. This app provides an opportunity for anyone to visit the Showroom via a virtual tour. The app is free and can be downloaded through the App Store. Realizing that not everyone has access to an iOS device, we also created the IPAT’s Home First Showroom YouTube Channel, which can be found at YouTube.com. It has all the same devices highlighted with a corresponding video describing device function, all just a click away! All the end user needs is a computer or android device with access to the internet or a wireless data plan.
We invite you to explore Home First Showroom options in whichever mode fits you best. If these modes do not fit your needs, give IPAT a call at 800-895-4728.
Trish Floyd and Peggy Shireley, IPAT AT Consultants