Luis Montez's story
Technology solutions for Luis
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Two years ago, while he was working as a heavy-duty crane operator on the docks of Vancouver, Luis Montez fell and suffered a brain injury that would change the course of his life.
His injury was so serious that for several months the young man couldn't walk, speak or feed himself. Following many months of extensive rehabilitation, Luis has recovered the ability to do all these things. However, he still struggles with significant challenges related to his memory, speech and dexterity.
Because of the severity of his injuries, on weekdays Luis lives in a Connect Group Home - one of four such homes operated by WorkSafeBC for clients who need ongoing support and rehabilitation for severe injuries.
"Luis is such a likeable guy - he has a great sense of humour and he's very bright," says Tanya Switucka, client relations coordinator at CanAssist. Luis is also an avid technology buff and an enthusiastic communicator. He enjoys being in frequent contact with his close-knit family, with whom he lives on weekends.
During his initial CanAssist consultation, it became clear that Luis had three goals: to keep in better contact with his family when he was at the rehabilitation facility, to get reacquainted with the multimedia technology he enjoyed, and to be reminded of the progress he was making during his recovery.
After hearing about Luis's goals, CanAssist software manager Leo Spalteholz knew exactly which technologies to offer.
The first was CanConnect, a specialized software program that lets people stay in touch. CanConnect, which is based on Skype, provides Luis with an onscreen photo gallery of loved ones. Using a touch-screen computer monitor, he simply touches an image to automatically establish audio and video contact with a family member.
The first time Luis used CanConnect, he called his parents. He told them that he loved them and was excited to see them on the weekend.
The second technology offered was the Visual Music Browser, a music software program that lets Luis choose his own music from a touch-screen computer monitor without having to ask anyone for help.
When he first used the Visual Music Browser, Luis scrolled through the online albums covers and chose rap - his favorite type of music.
According to his WorkSafeBC key worker Bonnie, "Luis listens to his music every day. It is something that he can have to himself, and he is able to choose his own songs."
The third technology was the Video Journal App. Developed by CanAssist hardware systems engineer Chris Harris (shown in the title photo), the video journal application allows Luis to record his milestones and setbacks on his iPhone and then play them back so that he can retrace his recovery progress."Luis loves watching the videos that he has recorded and really seems to recall events in a concrete way," adds Bonnie.
Since receiving the three CanAssist technologies, Luis's support team has seen a change in his demeanor. WorkSafeBC occupational therapist Adele comments, "I haven't seen Luis this excited for a long time!"
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