Verity Healthcare

Hello, that is Matt Kawiecki and I’m the founding father of totchop, and that is your Assistive Expertise Replace.

Hiya and welcome to your Assistive Expertise Replace, a weekly dose of knowledge that retains you recent on the most recent developments within the subject of expertise designed to help people with disabilities and particular wants. I’m your host, Josh Anderson with the INDATA Mission at Easterseals Crossroads in stunning Indianapolis, Indiana. Welcome to episode 712 of Assistive Expertise Replace. It’s scheduled to be launched on January seventeenth, 2025. On immediately’s present, we’re tremendous excited to study all in regards to the totchop. Let’s have a fast story a few partnership working to make kiosks extra accessible. So now let’s go forward and get on with the present.

Listeners, are you heading to the ATIA convention right here on the finish of January? Nicely, we’re right here from Assistive Expertise Replace, the INDATA Mission and our different assistive expertise packages right here at Easterseals Crossroads. We’ve acquired a fairly large group going this 12 months, and we’re very excited to get to study all the brand new assistive expertise on the market, in addition to study from among the professionals out within the subject. If you happen to occur to be attending ATIA this 12 months, it could be actually nice to attach, and when you’re in search of some periods to attend, why don’t you attend one of many ones that we’re collaborating in.

On Friday, January thirty first, I’ll be presenting with a beautiful Lisa Becker on transition instruments for people with cognitive impairments in post-secondary schooling. This presentation will spotlight and deep dive into completely different assistive applied sciences and lodging that may help people with cognitive impairments with a transition to increased schooling and assist them to attain success. We’ll go over all types of various stuff from thoughts mapping to planning, to staying targeted, to writing, studying, and different wants that may have an effect on people with all completely different sorts of cognitive impairments. If you happen to do attend these coaching, you’ll come out with some actually nice concepts what may be capable to help people that you simply may work with or know in addition to perhaps some strategies to establish and pick what these is perhaps.

Even be presenting on Saturday, February 1st with off the shelf lodging for getting old. Brian Norton will likely be becoming a member of me for this presentation, which can go over inbuilt accessibility options and makes use of of on a regular basis off the shelf electronics and different issues, and the way they’ll help people as they age with the intention to stay full, energetic and impartial lives. This presentation can also be very excited, honored, and humbled to be chosen as one of many Pleasure Zabala Spirit Award winners. We’re tremendous excited to be chosen for that award and looking out very ahead to presenting and speaking to everybody down there. So once more, when you’re heading to the ATIA convention right here on the finish of the month down in Orlando, Florida, go searching for a few of our workforce from Assistive Expertise Replace from Easterseals Crossroads and from the INDATA Mission.

And in addition make sure to attend certainly one of our trainings when you like, and cease by, say hello. We look ahead to seeing everybody there. Our story immediately comes from Cision PR Newswire, and it’s titled TPGi and Storm Interface Accomplice to Superior Accessible Self-Service Kiosks with JAWS for Kiosks. This story talks a few partnership between TPGi, which is a Vispero firm and Storm Interface, which is, I assume they make self-service accessibility and completely different human interface gadgets. In order that they’re working collectively with the intention to put JAWS for kiosks, so the display reader and Storm Interface’s AT merchandise into kiosks to make them accessible and accessible for people with a whole lot of completely different wants.

So this helps out in just a few other ways. In fact, JAWS and JAWS for kiosk is a display studying software program, so it’s going to have the ability to make info there on the display that’s visible auditory, in order that a person who’s blind or low imaginative and prescient is ready to entry that info. After which with these things from Storm Interface, this brings a sturdy and versatile enter gadgets. They’ve some issues referred to as NavPad, NavBar, and AudioNav. These are going to offer you different enter strategies resembling tactile navigation and audio steering, simply ensuring that people that simply can’t depend on a conventional touchscreen due to mobility challenges, cognitive impairments, any type of factor. That they’ve methods to have the ability to entry these.

Studying on within the story, a part of this partnership comes with European Accessibility Act, ADA Title II and ACA Part 1557. Deadline’s looming. So that is principally from what it says right here, going to be turnkey accessibility options embedded in kiosks and self-service gadgets. Studying by the story, it says the collaboration addresses key challenges in self-service accessibility by enhancing the enter choices, with the ability to assist gadgets like numeric keypads, QWERTY keyboards, tactile navigation instruments, simply so that people can simply use it slightly bit higher. It ensures privateness, these audio enabled options to information customers with out having to depend on visible interfaces.

It says it presents JAWS scripting capabilities for tailor-made buyer interactions, and it will probably assist enterprise meet these requirements and accessibility laws developing. We’ll put a hyperlink to this press launch over within the present notes. Nicely, what a extremely cool partnership and simply ensuring that self-service kiosks as a result of I do know a minimum of right here within the states, it’s arduous to stroll into a whole lot of locations with out discovering an iPad on a stand or another type of self-service kiosk the place perhaps you decide your seat, order your meals, order different companies and every little thing else. So making these totally accessible to people with all completely different sorts of wants and skills actually does assist out and actually simply makes it to the place they’ll entry your merchandise, your companies, and the issues that it’s that you simply’re attempting to promote.

So it’s not nearly regulation and type of maintaining with these, nevertheless it’s actually simply not the appropriate factor to do, after all, but additionally good enterprise. Simply ensuring that anybody that comes into what you are promoting or tries to entry, once more, your items, your companies, no matter it’s that you simply’re providing, has full entry to these independently as effectively. Not having to discover a sighted assistant or any person else who can entry that contact display, however with the ability to independently do what it’s that they need to do. So very cool partnership. Once more, we’ll put a hyperlink to this launch over within the present notes.

Listeners immediately we’re tremendous excited to speak with Matt Kawiecki, and he’s right here to inform us all in regards to the totchop and the way it could make meals prep simpler and safer for people of various skills. Matt, welcome to the present.

Hey, thanks a lot for having me, Josh.

I’m actually excited, particularly once I get to speak to any person type of native. So Matt’s right here in Fort Wayne, which isn’t removed from Indianapolis, type of the place we’re primarily based. However earlier than we get into speaking in regards to the totchop, are you able to inform our listeners slightly bit about your self?

Certain. My title is Matt. I’m Indiana born and raised. I went to Purdue College and popping out of faculty, labored at Eli Lilly for 10 years in quite a lot of manufacturing and R&D roles earlier than leaping into this startup final 12 months. So joyful to be right here and excited to share our background and the place this concept got here from and the way we’ve not but pivoted into incapacity house, however we’ve begun to analysis and perceive that the product we designed for an additional house is perhaps a unbelievable assistive expertise.

And typically that’s my favourite type of issues. Possibly they’re not made for a particular function, however when you get it on the market, it’s like, “Oh, this can be utilized in a whole lot of other ways.” So I assume let’s begin with perhaps from the start. I don’t know if we should always discuss what totchop is or perhaps the place the concept got here from first. I’ll go away that one as much as you.

Certain. I believe they’re fairly intently associated. So shout out to my spouse, however her dad and mom again in 2018 purchased a memento whereas on a visit as much as Alaska. And it was this very stunning Ulu knife. And this knife, we didn’t actually know what to make use of it for. It regarded like one thing that was for charcuterie. Quick-forward, I’m an engineer. After I see one thing inefficient in my day by day life, I search for issues round the home to attempt to make it quicker, and it actually boils right down to that. So I got here throughout this knife whereas I used to be getting ready meals for my daughter on the time, and I used to be like, “I’m going to attempt that.” And it was that aha second once I realized {that a} rounded blade with a rounded bowl can help you reduce up meals in a short time.

So then I after all went to my spouse and I used to be like, “That is nice. It’s a must to use this to chop up meals for Abby each day.” After which it grew to become our day by day driver for a few years. The one factor about it was that it’s wooden, and when you’ve got two working dad and mom, when you’ve got a day by day dishwasher load, you need to have the ability to conveniently clear issues. So the one factor I’d hoped for was that I may go and discover one on-line that was dishwasher secure, extra handy to make use of in form of our busy day by day lives. After I didn’t discover that, that’s once I had this, “That’s a neat concept.” However that concept was simply type of on the again burner till October of 2022.

We had a choking scare with our 14-month previous on the time, and fortunately she ended up okay, however after calling EMS and pondering your little one’s unresponsive on the desk, it’s a kind of moments in life like, “There’s earlier than that occurred and after. What am I going to do after?” And that’s once I had this concept of mixing the ingenuity of a rounded knife just like the Ulu, together with measuring aids, making one thing that’s tailor-made for fogeys to chop up meals and likewise handy to scrub, straightforward to scrub, et cetera. That’s the place the concept of totchop took place. So it took a few 12 months to develop, and we went by a whole lot of human components research the place we actually had been taking a look at what mothers and dads are doing within the kitchen whereas getting ready meals for youths.

And a part of that entails usually holding a child. So when you’ve ever needed to attempt to put together meals whereas holding a child, it’s not very straightforward. You possibly can perhaps take a cleaver and begin chopping, however meals’s going to fly round in all places. So then we put a give attention to one-handed use. And the way in which that totchop is designed, and I do know your listeners may not have seen an image of it or something earlier than, nevertheless it has a curved bowl to your slicing floor. If you happen to add non-slip toes to this slicing floor, then you possibly can basically use the product one-handed as a result of the bowl acts as your third hand basically. In order that’s the design inspiration for creating one-handed use. It was to permit a mother or dad to carry their 10-month-old, 12 month previous and take part in meals prep, after which the child’s joyful.

They’re engaged in meals, hopefully extra prepared to attempt the meals that you simply’re getting ready. In order that was the design inspiration and line of pondering we had from the start, and that’s the place it interprets into the incapacity house. We’re like, “Huh, it may be used with one hand. You don’t actually need that a lot high-quality motor management. It’s very fast. It’s very easy to scrub, and your fingers aren’t subsequent to the blade. Let’s dig into this slightly bit.”

And type of such as you mentioned within the incapacity house, after all, with one hand or type of impeded motor management, but additionally I may see how if I used to be visually impaired, as a result of once more, it’s type of being all held there with out having to have my arms all near the blade, could make an enormous, large distinction.

Sure. Undoubtedly. And one factor I haven’t talked about but is we’re actively within the R&D section for our youngsters’ model of totchop, and the youngsters’ model has a boring blade. So if you consider a boring blade, like a butter knife, for instance, it’s not that efficient at slicing. Nevertheless, with the design of this knife, since you’re simply pushing, the boring blade nonetheless features fairly effectively and may reduce, I’m estimating 80 to 90% of meals fairly simply. So when testing this with children and designing this with children in thoughts, we needed the blade to nonetheless perform in addition to we will. So make it as sharp as you possibly can with out with the ability to reduce pores and skin. After which I’ve a fast story right here relating to visually impaired.

My spouse, she’s an ophthalmologist, so she acquired a letter at work from this native middle right here in Fort Wayne that works with individuals with imaginative and prescient impairment and blindness. They usually mentioned that they’d an open home developing. So I used to be like, “Nicely, I’m going to succeed in out to them to perhaps take a look at this child’s knife with somebody who struggles with imaginative and prescient impairment.” And I went there, once more, it’s earlier than that and after that. It was a kind of life-changing moments. You’re watching any person work together with one thing you’ve created. There was one particular person named Mark, and Mark was utterly blind since beginning, and he solely had use of 1 hand.

And as I’m attempting to soak in all this info whereas I’m watching him have interaction with the child’s prototype knife. He was in a position to reduce up a uncooked carrot with one hand utterly blind and utterly safely. After which after seeing that, it’s taking place in actual time, you possibly can’t actually know it. However I requested him as a follow-up, I mentioned, “Mark, have you ever ever carried out that earlier than?” And he mentioned, “No.” And he’s 45, 50 years previous. So I referred to as my spouse on the way in which dwelling and I used to be really delivered to tears. I used to be like, “Rachel, I believe this could possibly be life-changing for individuals with blindness. I imply, not simply individuals with one hand, however individuals who can’t see as a result of this blade can’t reduce them, however it will probably nonetheless reduce meals.”

In order that was a fairly profound expertise that I went by, and it actually opened my eyes into the diminished independence that the majority kitchen instruments provide individuals with disabilities or enable individuals with disabilities, after which the diminished alternatives for studying these important cooking expertise that may carry that independence. So it’s not just for older individuals like Mark, however I believe with children as effectively. I reached out to this random woman that I discovered on Instagram, and her daughter solely has, I don’t know if it’s amniotic band syndrome, however her hand isn’t totally developed on certainly one of her sides. So I despatched her a set of the child’s prototype and looking out primarily for suggestions. So can your little one use this?

After which now she makes use of it each day, and she or he mentioned that she’s solely three years previous, however that is the primary time she’s really in a position to assist in the kitchen with one thing secure as a result of it’s really easy to make use of since you’re simply pushing. So it’s tales like that I thrive off studying about this house as a result of it’s one thing that I don’t need to expertise in my day by day life, which in methods is lucky in different methods unlucky as a result of it opens up a whole lot of completely different potentialities and publicity to new merchandise and several types of individuals and all that. However I believe that these tales with connecting with people with a incapacity and seeing the vary of disabilities that our portfolio merchandise will be capable to hopefully assist out, that’s the most motivating factor I’d say that I’ve labored on.

No, that’s superior. And also you introduced up simply so many various sorts of teams. I imply, not solely completely different sorts of teams, however I actually like the way you’re together with children in there as a result of I’ve small children, and I really like that you simply talked about the entire holding a child in a single arm. I’ve used that analogy so many occasions when individuals are like, “Oh, you recognize…” Or after we discuss incapacity, I actually can’t relate. It’s like, “Nicely, I see you’ve got a toddler there? Have you ever ever been holding them in your arms? How straightforward was it to kind up one thing in your pc?” It’s like, “Nicely, I couldn’t.” Nicely, similar type of factor. You want an lodging so as to have the ability to do this.

So it’s alongside those self same traces, however I imply, particularly with children, after which even talked about the younger lady who perhaps had a incapacity as effectively, you’re educating that independence. That you are able to do issues by yourself. And I do know working on this subject for therefore lengthy, some people, they don’t get that type of, I don’t need to say push, push is the incorrect phrase, however the alternative to have the ability to do issues for themselves. However it looks like anytime I see somebody get that chance, they normally excel and go on to do even an increasing number of issues. So I really like that the software is ready for use in so many various methods by so many, many type of completely different individuals.

Completely agree. It’s actually inspiring to consider, I discussed these variety of disabilities, and we’ve talked about just a few right here, however for kids, for instance, with autism or ADHD, down syndrome, developmental delays. There’s so many alternatives only for that boring knife. After which we have now, the sharp knife is on the market immediately. So I’ll point out that when you suppose this product may assist somebody or to your listeners on the market, that one’s accessible immediately. After which hopefully by April we’re going to have the youngsters’ boring a knife accessible as effectively. However I’m very excited to see as soon as we get that available on the market what varieties of individuals discover essentially the most worth in it.

And Matt, you type of introduced this up slightly bit, however you mentioned it will probably even assist me with measuring, how does it assist me with measuring?

So going again to that choking scare I’d talked about that we had in the home on the time, that knife that I discussed that was soiled, and I used to be slicing up meals in a rush as a result of we simply acquired carried out with work and hungry children. And typical facet of fork, simply use what you’ve got. I don’t know if it was too giant of a chew or whatnot that precipitated that choking incident, however after that, I requested myself, “From an engineering standpoint, what’s the quickest technique to verify a chew measurement?” In engineering time period, it’s a go, no-go.

If it suits in there, it’s a go. If it doesn’t slot in there, it’s a no-go. So instantly on the slicing board, there’s a ruler within the prime left nook, after which within the prime proper it has three go, no-go gauges. I name them labeled, minced, diced, and chopped. And the highest circle is in keeping with the beneficial bite-sized from the American Affiliation of Pediatrics, which is a half inch.

Good, good. That’s superior. And that makes it’s so a lot simpler for people. I imply, I even consider… As I consider it, individuals with completely different developmental disabilities or other forms of issues. I imply I’m not a chef, I prefer to prepare dinner, however a store, a cube, a chop, I don’t know the distinction between these. So having one thing the place I can preserve it constant isn’t just a lifesaver in some methods. It’s simply actually darn handy to have the ability to form inform what measurement I’m making issues too. In order that’s an amazing additional type of software on there. After which simply to ensure, as a result of I do know our listeners can’t see it, and that is simply from me really seeing every little thing.

I really like that the slicing board has that, I don’t even know what you need to name it, the way it’s indented in order that the way in which the knife really connects with it, it holds all of the meals in there. That’s actually cool. And hopefully our listeners will go test it out and see the way it works as a result of it’s a fairly darn neat method of with the ability to, effectively, to prep your meals, to chop issues up and to get issues prepared for the youngsters to your meal or for no matter you may need to do.

Thanks. I believe it’s a kind of merchandise, when you… I name it a contact to belief. You don’t really consider it’s going to be as quick or as straightforward to make use of till you utilize it. After which it’s that eureka second, the place’s this been all my life? As a result of it does, the gravity feeds the meals again in direction of the middle of the bowl, so it’s not working round. So when you’re slicing a grape or small crimson potatoes or one thing like that, you are able to do it one-handed, which there’s one other retailer right here, Aaron is his title. Aaron’s a fuel station attendant, and I used to be shopping for Gatorade or one thing and observed that Aaron didn’t have use of certainly one of his arms. And I used to be like, “Hey, I’m Matt. I really like speaking to individuals a few product I’m growing. Would you be prepared to check it for me?”

And lengthy story quick, Aaron examined the product and he had cerebral palsy, and he and I nonetheless stay good pals to at the present time, however Aaron talked about that this was the primary time he may reduce a potato as a result of it didn’t roll away from him. So he had used different curved knives, and his was a bigger model referred to as a Mezzaluna, however he talked about with our slicing board, this was the primary time {that a} potato received’t roll away from him. And Aaron’s once more in his forties, and to have one thing for the primary time with the ability to reduce a potato on his personal, that was fairly neat.

That’s tremendous cool. Nicely, I do know the boring model continues to be within the works, but when I went and needed to purchase a totchop knife immediately, type of what comes within the package?

So within the package we have now the totchop slicing board, which is a dishwasher-safe plastic. After which lately in November of 2024, so for Black Friday, we made an enchancment to the set {that a} piece of rounded silicone sits on prime of that bowl, the slicing bowl. And so silicone’s nice as a result of it doesn’t create microplastics. So when you’re slicing on a plastic slicing board over time, I’m certain most of your listeners have seen this, the slicing board wears down little tiny flakes of plastic get in your meals. There’s arguments whether or not or not that could be a downside long run.

However the pattern and the place we need to go as an organization is to maneuver extra in direction of the microplastic-free options. So the silicone is now a typical a part of our providing. So that you’ll get the slicing board, you’ll get the silicone slicing floor, after which the chrome steel knife with the soft-touch deal with as effectively.

And if our listeners need to take a look at, study extra in regards to the totchop or order one for themselves, how would they do this?

So that’s potential at totchop.com. T-O-T-C-H-O-P. And as I discussed, we’ll have the youngsters’ model up there quickly. We’re taking a look at round an April launch. With a children’ product, it’s fascinating, it’s a must to undergo the regulatory necessities for lead testing, and there’s extra necessities round a youngsters’s product. So it takes a while to get to that time, however the provide chain’s prepared and we should always be capable to pull that lever right here in March-April timeframe.

Superior, superior. We look ahead to seeing it on the market. And listeners, whereas that’s nonetheless within the works, positively go take a look at, I assume the unique totchop. We’ll name it the unique for now or the sharp one. Undoubtedly. As a result of it’s a very cool, and type of such as you mentioned, not only for people with disabilities, however just about anybody may actually profit from it of their day by day lives once they’re cooking, their prepping. Such as you mentioned, simply getting issues prepared for these children once they’re hungry, the endurance actually disappears fairly darn fast.

Nicely, hey, Matt, thanks a lot for approaching immediately for telling us all in regards to the totchop, and we look ahead to seeing the following iteration come out right here quickly. However thanks once more, and we’re so joyful that you simply made it and that it ended up being a assist to individuals with so many various sorts of skills.

Thanks, Josh. I actually respect you having me. So I do need to take the time shortly simply to say thanks to Marin, Alicia, Eric, Aaron, Mark, go down the listing. These people have all helped me with the boots on the bottom suggestions, the individuals at Turnstone as effectively right here in Fort Wayne, which is a tremendous incapacity middle. So simply need to ensure that to offer them a shout-out and say thanks. I hope that my ardour for the incapacity house, hopefully it comes out throughout this dialog, and it’s one thing that… It’s not the principle focus of the corporate proper now, and I haven’t talked about this, however I’m the one full-time worker with topchop.

So going into an area as overwhelming because the assistive expertise from a fragmented market standpoint, it’s an excessive amount of for me to steadiness by myself. So if any of your listeners, or when you’ve got anybody in your community that is ready to assist get this info out to extra individuals with disabilities, I’d love that assist. And I do know that this group appears to be extraordinarily reliable from a word-of-mouth standpoint. So I hope that when you do discover potential worth on this or when you’ve got some concepts for how one can make this simpler to entry in that market, I’m actually joyful to have some conversations round that.

Superior. Nicely, listeners, there’s your problem for immediately to exit and discover people that may assist matter. At the very least get the phrase out to people if this can be a software that may be capable to help them or their youngsters or their members of the family or anybody that you simply may know, and we’ll ensure that to share the phrase as effectively. Matt, thanks once more.

Do you’ve got a query about assistive expertise? Do you’ve got a suggestion for somebody we should always interview on assistive expertise replace? In that case, name our listener line at 317-721-7124. Ship us an e mail at tech@eastersealscrossroads.org or shoot us a notice on Twitter at INDATA Mission. Our captions and transcripts for the present are sponsored by the Indiana Phone Relay Entry Company or InTRAC. You could find out extra about InTRAC at relayindiana.com. A particular due to Nicole Prieto for scheduling our wonderful friends and making a multitude of my schedule. At present’s present is produced, edited, hosted, and fraught over by yours actually.

The opinions expressed by our friends are their very own and will or might not replicate these of the INDATA Mission, Easterseals Crossroads, our supporting companions or this host. This was your Assistive Expertise Replace. I’m Josh Anderson with the INDATA Mission at Easterseals Crossroads in stunning Indianapolis, Indiana. We look ahead to seeing you subsequent time. Bye-bye.