rarerelated tag: Access to/ Coverage Assistive Technology

Elliette “Ellie” Miller, 8, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that severely limits her mobility, including the ability to walk or sit up without help. SMA also causes Ellie to have a weakened immune system, which prohibits her ability to physically be in her second grade classroom at Warder Park-Wayne Elementary School, especially in the pandemic era.

But Ellie’s family and a team of teachers collaborated to acquire the technology from the Ohio State University College of Engineering. Ellie has been using the double robotics technology since she was in kindergarten. A robot that looks similar to a segway with an iPad is positioned in Ellie’s classroom. Each day, Ellie is able to video chat into the robot’s iPad and controls its movements from home. Ellie’s family makes it a point to tap into the robot as often as they can, especially during story time and group activities.