Thank you so much for listening to Season 1 of Technically Sick.

I am so grateful to all of the guests this season, who vulnerably and courageously shared their stories and provided their guidance and expertise with us. It has been such an exciting experience to speak with people on the forefront of innovation about how we can utilize existing tech and what technological interventions are on the horizon.

We have spoken with innovators, physicians, and community members about how existing and future technology can support the chronic illness and disability community. From practical tips like using smart home devices or our phones to support day-to-day living to future advancement in wheelchairs and virtual reality, we have covered a variety of topics that I hope resonated with you. Perhaps my biggest takeaway from these conversations is that the more we call in members of the disability and chronic illness community to contribute to tech advancement, the higher likelihood that innovations will be created to benefit our day to day lives.

I look forward to a world where technology is accessible and empowers all people, no matter their abilities, to live more independently. 

For more empowering content to support the health of you, your loved ones, and your communities, visit empoweredus.org to check out our other podcasts and projects. Follow the Empowered Us community on Instagram @empoweredusnetwork and Twitter @empowereduspod to stay up to date with all podcast happenings and to connect with us.

Empowered Us is a storytelling and resource hub led by Good Days, a national nonprofit that lifts the burdens of chronic illness through assistance, advocacy, and awareness. Visit MyGoodDays.org to learn more.

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Monica speaks with Jen Hardy, an author, podcast host, blogger, coach, and mother. In this episode, Jen shares some of the technologies and apps she uses to help manage parenting, working, and day-to-day life while living with chronic illnesses.

"There were a lot of people complaining, ‘I'm so sick, I can't get up’, but no one was saying, ‘how do you live your life like that? How do you get through it and live a good life, even when you're like that?’. And so, I pursued it. I started a blog to help others like me.” - Jen Hardy

• 01:59 How Jen started blogging
• 04:29 Jen’s favorite apps and gadgets for parenting
• 07:26 Recommended apps and gadgets for sleep
• 10:39 How Jen works from bed
• 14:25 Apps and gadgets for brain fog
• 16:47 Robot vacuums
• 18:43 Kitchen gadgets
• 22:26 Other helpful gadgets
• 28:51 Jen’s ideal tech

1) Technology has the capacity to take on a lot of the parenting and home care exhaustion. From using home voice assistance, you can set up timers for when that dog needs to be walked, reminders of chores for the kids, and set up your device to be an intercom between rooms for additional communication.

2) Many simple tech purchases can make a huge difference: audiobooks, speaker pillows, and even automated potato peelers are little changes that could possibly elevate your lifestyle and reduce effort

3) There are a variety of apps programmed into your phone that can be so useful, such as the Notes and Reminders app for Apple users or for you Android users - Google Keep. Jen makes use of these to ensure that brain fog does not get in the way of her obligations and productivity

4) If you are looking to find a bedside setup that's right for you, take a look into dorm rooms and tiny house setups for inspiration. These resources will show ideas of how to organize your small working spaces in creative ways.

Jen Hardy is an author, podcast host, blogger, coach, and mother to seven children. In her work, she discusses what it's like to be a mom and an entrepreneur while managing her chronic illnesses.

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Monica speaks with Kristen Lopez, a writer and disability advocate in media and also our first community member guest. In this episode, Kristen shares her favorite kitchen devices and hacks to create more autonomy and reduce effort in the kitchen.

“In a world where disabled people, you know, autonomy is so fleeting for us in many ways, food really does become this element of control, and not in a negative way, although it can be negative, but a way to take back that autonomy.” - Kristen Lopez

• 01:53 When Kristen realized technology would be such a big help in the kitchen
• 04:08 Kristen’s favorite kitchen gadgets and transformations
• 07:27 Products and services that have come out of the pandemic that have been beneficial to people with disabilities
• 09:16 The ideal disability items for those who are newly disabled
• 12:02 Finding easier recipes for cooking and autonomy
• 15:26 The impact of digital accessibility on cooking
• 18:42 Kitchen gadgets that help with time management and safety
• 21:14 Examples of ways that kitchen appliances are inaccessible
• 24:54 The lack of disabled representation in media
• 29:45 The cost effectiveness of using kitchen gadgets over food delivery
• 31:02 The stereotypes people with disabilities face around spending
• 34:23 The impact inflation has on the disabled community
• 37:31 Where Kristen sees technology going in the future
• 39:45 The importance of making tech easy to use
• 42:51 Kristen’s ideal tech

1. There are tech devices, resources, and apps out there to support you in the kitchen, but not all the tools are gonna be for you and some might require some trial and error. Don’t give up! Keep trying different tools and see what hacks will help support you the most.

2. Sometimes simple accommodations are so much more effective and helpful than expensive innovations. Calling in the actual needs of the disability community allows for the right accommodations to be made when developing accessible tools.

3. Cooking can bring joy and autonomy to people in the disabled community. Utilizing technology to help save your energy and reduce the overwhelm allows for more space to enjoy the process of making food. And, I’m gonna bet that cooking at home is going to save you some much-needed money.

1. If you want to make your kitchen more accessible in a cost-effective way and you just don’t know where to begin, try reorganizing your kitchen to make the things you use regularly as accessible to you as possible. Look into the way that professional kitchens and bakeries are organized.

2. If you’re interested in any of the tech that we mentioned, go and check out our show notes – all the products will be linked in the resources section. These are products that Kristen and I love, however they do not sponsor our show in any way.

Kristen Lopez is the TV Editor of IndieWire and a pop culture essayist whose work has been published at Variety, MTV, and Roger Ebert. She writes regularly on disability representation in media. In her free time she contributes to the classic film podcast, Ticklish Business.

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