CITTI Project Ecuador Tour 2006

Gayl Bowser

We have been very involved in the getting to know and trying to understand part of this trip and it is a wonderful experience. Today Joy and I created some lessons for the teacher of the older students to try to both add to her pool of resources and to help her understand some concepts about teaching adults with significant delays. I think a lot about what the basis purposes of education here might be.

One important aspect of our trip is to expand on the idea that the educational program has to be functional. General education here involves a lot of lecture and repetition. But that does not work well for the group that Joy and I are working with. (Older students with Developmental Disabilities) So we want to convey the idea that rather than practicing saying color names, the students could use this information to be more helpful and independent in their own lives. We have had to think a lot about the levels of instruction that might be applicable in this situation. As Stacey said, the cultural barriers are enormous. We don't know how to do many of the daily tasks ourselves, so it's impossible to apply the concept of task analysis. The good part of this is that we will have to work closely with the teacher for this group and she will be our guide for the curriculum part of the planning. We think that we have ideas about teaching strategies and adapted equipment if we ever understand the functional life skills and the way they are done here.

In the U. S. it strikes me that we might be talking more about independence than we are here. It is not necessarily a cultural value that ANYONE be independent. But being HELPFUL is very important. And if you can help and also participate with others in your family and community, then that is even better. It's called a Minga. In a Minga everyone works together to accomplish a task. I think we need to help develop the MINGA theory of assistive technology!

Thanks for all your comments and good wishes. It's a trip to be here and learning SO much.

I wont go back to the text on the Otavalo market, but I think I can give you some pictures finally.

This is a one man band going through the market. On his back was a drum and symbol that he worked with a line attached to his feet. He is singing here, but was playing the rondador earlier.



Obviously I have not mastered formatting on the blog. Above are market scenes and a lovely woman dressed in traditional garb who agreed to a photo.

Wow, looks like I placed the last photo in this set at the top of the page. The photo is of the people who arrived early in Quito and were able to go on the 8 hour trip to the Otavalo market. Left to right, me, Linda, Stacy, not sure, Osima, and Gayl.
Looks like I will not get a job as a blogger after all.

It is 5 pm here. I started on this page at 11 am. Finally found someone who knew how to work a PC. This final page actually only took a little over an hour.

Contributed by Stacy Springer

What an amazing day! Bridgett, Maggie, and myself went to a couple of homes today for some children whose family goals necessitated home visits. We were also accompanied by Adam, our translator, as well as Monica, an amazing mother and advocate for the village of Huambalo who started the school foundation. The first visits were arranged since afterwards the two mothers needed to go to the school to cook our lunches!

We first went to Miguel´s home, a 12 year old bright young boy with cerebral palsy. His family indicated that toileting was a high priority. Before going to the home, many were talking about fabricating an adapted commode, trying to figure out what materials to purchase, and such.

Although we could have bought some materials, I didn't feel comfortable buying any materials before actually going to his home. As an OT, I discussed that we couldn't do that since we didn't know how big his bathroom was, how close the wall was, where it was in relation to his room, etc. Well - I was on the right path in my thinking, but still way off base...

When we arrived at Miguel´s home, the family's bathroom is not in their house - its around the corner, down a small hill, and is fabricated out of 4 wooden tree posts with burlap bags as the walls and a round cement commode. A true example of how environment, both social and physical, can not be assumed or imagined without actually being there. We are still working through ways to modify and adapt Miguel´s bathroom using culturally available and relevant materials while still meeting the needs of Miguel and his family.

The next home visit was to Santiago's home, an adorable young 3 year old with cerebral palsy, whose family's goals included feeding and bathing. Again, his bathtub was vastly different from our cultural experiences; it was a round plastic basin. His mother explained that since Santiago has difficulties with balance, she has to hold him with one hand while bathing him with another. Our team came up with the low-tech tool of using a rope that could be fixed through either side of the basin. The family had one nearby in which Santiago was able to grasp with both of his hands while we held it across the basin. The family seemed pleased with this simple low tech idea that was able to be immediately implemented and easily replicable.

For feeding, it was an amazing process in which all of our perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise collaborated to suggest and implement supports for improving Santiago's independence with spoon feeding. Looking around quickly for materials in the home, Maggie and myself found a cardboard box in which we ripped off a piece, wrapped it around his spoon and then Bridgett had an elastic hair band to keep it in place.

This showed the family that they can find and adapt materials that they have and not needing commercially available materials. Bridgett and Maggie suggested having a lower, more shallow bowl that also increased Santiago's ability to scoop the yogurt onto his spoon. There were so many things that we were having interpreted from the family and then consulting and trying to suggest ideas in a way that empowered the family as the experts and not the 'professionals'.

Visiting the family's homes was an incredibly humbling experience. They welcomed us with open arms and offerings of food. Understanding again how each piece of the puzzle is completely interlinked and dependent on another. Our team was comprised of different disciplines & expertise - this is in part what I believe makes AT so powerful... collaborating together, blurring traditional lines and roles, to support the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families.

Contributed by Lori Haldeman - Ace Reporter
7/28/2006

On Friday one of Chaya´s dreams came true. She has wanted to involve the Huambalo community in the documentation of the CITTI Project. She wants to know the children's perspectives about the CITTI Project and what it means to them.

Jessica, one of the students in Huambalo, was taught how to use a digital camera so that she could begin to document the CITTI Project from her own perspective. As the day progressed, Jessica would look to Chaya as an example of what she should be doing. Additionally, she asked permission to take pictures in the kitchen and playground.

Wonderful images were taken. The pictures captured the importance of family. She took pictures of her siblings, groups of children inside working and outside playing, Maria feeding Miguel and her younger sister Deisy, carrying Anita, their baby sister. She documented the women in the community in the kitchen preparing food as well as the children playing at the playground.

The parents seemed to be pleased to see Jessica documenting by taking pictures as part of the CITTI team. In total, Jessica took 154 pictures throughout the day.

Ongoing documentation by the children in Huambalo will continue as two more children will have the opportunity to take photographs on Saturday.

Contributed by Lynn Gitlow:

Note: This is only a small part of the trouble Lynn and Dennis went through coming to Ecuador.

Well we are the high maintenance couple. We missed our plane ( we won´t talk about why Delta Airlines is in chapter 11 ) and came to Quito a day late. We expected that we would be on our own to meet up with the group which had already left for Ambato. Our first introduction to the CITTI community was a van waiting for us at the airport- then off to a hotel in Quito where a TAXI was waiting for us to take us to meet up with the group. We arrived at dinner and Bridgett ran down the street to meet us with open arms and then when we got into the restaurant we were welcomed by our CITTI community- It has just gotten better since then. So that is our nuclear community.

We then came to Huambalo to see the group with whom we are to collaborate. The sense of community in this rural town is astonishing. First we are greeted with handshakes and hugs every morning ( what a nice cultural gesture) then all through the day you see a rural community pulling together to get the every day things of life done. The group is in a temporary space because its location is being used as a volcano shelter. Everyone including parents, teachers, therapists, brothers and sisters, and even the head of the FSD Foundation pull together to get things done. Lunch, for example, is cooked and served by any one who is around. Like today the chicken could not be cooked at the school so one of the parents cooked it at her house and others brought it to the school for lunch. "Not in my job description" doesn't seem to be culturally relevant at this location. Another example is the ramp which is being built CITTI group members and family work side by side. We hope to carry this sense of community home and infuse it into our lives at home and work.

Lynn and Dennis

I don´t know if it is proper for blogs to report their statistics, but I thought it might be of interest. As of six forty five (can not get the numbers to work on the keyboard) Sunday, July 30, we have received 563 visits to the CITTI Project blog. 498 are from the U.S., 31 from Ecuador, but that´s just our group, six from Canada, 3 from the United Kingdom, 2 Mexico and Kuwait and Brazil, and one from Finland, Indonesia, Israel, Portugal, Russian Federation, India, Philipines, Germany, Poland, Singapore, Netherlands, France, Nicaragua, Romania, New Zealand, Argentinia, and Australia.

Our thanks to everyone who has visited!!!

In an earlier post, Heather spoke of the drive, determination, and mutual caring among the people of Huambalo and Mimi said, "This is a place to search one's mind set of family, education, disability, independence, and life in general." Indeed these statements are true for me, too... and nowhere is the drive, determination, and mutual caring more evident than in the example of Miguel, his sister, Paula, and the other chilren of Huamblo.

Miguel, aged 11, has cerebral palsy, but it does not seem to slow him down much. He is the most independent kid with his level of disability that I have EVER seen... absolutely amazing! Part of that is due to the relationship between him and his siblings, especially his younger sister, Paula, aged 9. Miguel speaks only a few words and cannot walk independently, so when he wants to move from one place to another, he either walks along leaning back on the wall or raises his left arm. When he raises his left arm, Paula comes to stand close beside him. He puts his arm around her shoulder and off they go. If Paula is not nearby or is busy, any other kid who happens to be close by does the same. Miguel is NEVER left out and is never just an observer. He is an active participant in every activity! It is one of the most incredible examples of caring collaboration I have ever witnessed.

An example of Miguel´s participative and active spirit occurred yesterday after lunch when several of the students were playing on the slide right outside of the eating area. Miguel indicated to his godfather, who had joined us for lunch, that he wanted to slide, too. As his godfather walked him over to the slide, Stacy - a talented and thoughtful young OT who is one of my great hopes for the future of the AT field - and I slipped into place on either side of the slide, knowing from our experience that if Miguel were able to slide at all, it would take many hands and much careful attention. As his godfather approached the ladder, Miguel reached out and grasped it. Much to Stacy´s and my surprise, his godfather smiled and said to us, "Don´t help him because he wants to do it himself," and walked away, returning to his work.

With Diego, a wonderfully gentle giant who is also a student at the school, standing attentively behind him (and Stacy and I trying to look unconcerned but VERY attentive and at the ready!)Miguel, arms and legs flying in all directions, climbed unsteadily up the ladder, paused on his belly at the landing to rearrange his arms and legs into a seated "slide" position, and slid right down. At the bottom, he scooted off the slide, and, steadying himself with the side of the slide, worked his way back to the ladder to begin the whole thing again! Stacy and I gasped, cheered, and stood in awe of his determination, adaptability, perseverance, overlayed by a child´s enthusiasm for living. If there were a single word for all that, it would be "Miguel!"

I am amazed and humbled by how Miguel, Paula, and the other children use their gifts and somewhat disheartened by what appear to be limited opportunities for them to broaden and share those gifts as they grow older.

From Heather Burns

I think we did it all the moving we could today. We moved rocks, we moved dirt, we moved wood, we moved supplies, we moved chairs. And in spite of all our moving, the children still were able to move us. I am amazed with the sheer camaraderie of the students, their families, and the school workers. They look at you with hope and appreciation, and I in tun look at them with admiration and, honestly, a bit of jealousy. I am humbled by their love for one another. By American standards, most of the people would be considered living in squaller. That is not the case at all. Yes they have little, but that seems of little notice to them. They are proud people, of who they are and of what they have been able to accomplish. I am not ashamed to say that I was brought up in a well off family with resources and opportunities at my fingertips. I am ashamed to say that I did not use those with such vigor as the people use and appreciate what they have here. I am in love with the togetherness they display. If one wants to experience collaboration, then come to Huambalo.

For purposes of time and efficiency, our group has split into teams that each focus on various projects. I am on a team of early childhood and elementary teachers consisting of Sonia, Beth, and myself. We were able to meet with the teacher, Jasmin, at the school who worked with the younger students. In describing her job, she revealed that she works with students from age 2 to 8, plus an additional 15 year old student who is at the same level as some of her younger students. She has all types of disabilities ranging from CP to LD to Autism to who knows. She told us of her trouble in coordinating group activities with such an age and ability range. She wished for more one on one time to spend with each student. Yet the whole time she described some of the more challenging aspects to her job, a smile never left her face. You could almost feel the love for each student as she described all the many activities and plans she had for each student. She looked at these students as a proud parent would look at their first born graduating. Jasmin and her love for the work she does, moved into my heart.

After meeting with Jasmin, my team met to discuss both how impressed we were with her drive and how best we could assist her. We settled on some ideas around more individual tasks for the students. With such great minds put together, we planned well and were able to decide on what supplies we needed. After stopping in Pelileo, we got our supplies and our plans. We are chomping at the bit to get started, so even though we are tired after and very predictive day in Huambalo, we are ready to begin and plan one (or two if we have time) tonight during our dinner. A time when we should be resting up for more great work tomorrow. I guess excitement just gives us a second wind.

Provided by Mimi
7/29/06

News from the "Communication Group". There are three of us working with Nancy, the speech therapist at Huambalo. Andrea, Linda, and myself (Mimi) observed Nancy working with a group of students this morning. One 4-year old in the group is non-verbal. I sat by him as he was playing with some small yellow cones that nestle inside of each other. I drew a yellow cone, had him give me the cones, and modeled how he could point to the picture to get a cone. He understood right away! After observing the group, we made a simple communication board to enable him to participate with it. We made the board using a durable plastic board we had bought in a small stationary store in the town of Pelileo on the way to Huambalo. We drew pictures on the plastic board with Sharpies. Nancy is a great speech therapist, and really liked our board. We're going back tomorrow to collaborate with her on what other boards she would like, and model how to use them with her non-verbal students. Using sustainable materials has been challenging - no BoardMaker - and I am hardly an artist. This is a place to search one's mind set of family, education, disability, independence, and life in general.

Provided by Gayl Bowser

I´ve not been much of a blogger on this trip cause I´ve been enjoying all the fun adventures, LOVELY people and amazing things we have been doing. And since we have done a lot of things together, I didn´t think I had a lot to say. But today, I had my own personal adventure. Thought you´d like to hear what happened.

Today. I went looking for free wood scraps for building some toys and equipment at the school. I got to drive around with a mom of two of the kids. She speaks no English and my Spanish is improving rapidly but I´m basically a non speaker. We got along just fine with the help of many of the children who were helping in their family shops. They make incredible furniture in Huambalo and I got to see a lot of it unfinished. There were kids everywhere sanding chairs and tables. Big work rooms filled with sawdust and shavings and one very clean room in every shop where they stain and spray the finished products. There are tables with inlay and every family seems to have it´s own chair design. Big and bulky as Much Spanish style furniture seems to be but with a particular Ecuador twist to it. soft curves that remind me of some of the Inca paintings.....

Anyway, it was VERY fun. We also went to the sawmill to try to get posts and rails for the ramps. They will cut them for us specially and deliver tomorrow morning. I got back to see almost every CITTI project member digging and lifting rocks at the end of the day. What a scene. We are all coming back more fit and with a few ounces of volcano dust in our system. I´m sure it´s rich in minerals.

It was a great day!

Saturday morning it was breakfast and off on the bus to Huambalo. We are getting sort of used to the bus ride. It is very fast and scary, but we are getting used to that. If you just don´t look down, WAY down. I have pictures for later.

You may know Joy Zabala and so you´ll understand. She just loves social games (I don´t). Anyway, she had us all email her husband a secret about ourselves that the group wouldn´t know. She had the secrets typed on a list and we were to try to figure out what secrets matched which people on the tour.

I´ll get back to that thought in a minute. When we got to Huambalo the three of us working on the ramp went right to the Center to continue hoedading, shoveling, hauling dirt, and one new thing. We started hauling volcanic rock from about two blocks away via wheelbarrows. We´ve seen that in Ecuador when a street gets torn up for say laying new pipe, all the digging and filling is done by hand, no mechanical devices. That is what we are doing.

It turned out that in addition to Osima and Dennis and I, several of the women in the group started showing up and helping out. Maggie was terrific with her wheelbarrow work. Beth took to hoedading like a natural. Stacy wheelbarrowed rocks to the ramp and ran up the ramp to dump the rocks. Folks, I did that twice just to prove I could do it, but Stacy ran up the ramp with a few hundred pounds of rocks. Animal! Lori did something of everything at the site. Heather was also proficient at working a hoedad. Dennis of course carried a lot of rock and so did some volunteer from the community. He was clearly the toughest at rocks. It was a busy hard working 3 and a half hours with no big breaks. After lunch we all came back and started arranging the rocks. Bridgett, Dennis, and Lynne were in charge of this. By the end of the day we had dug down about eight inches for the 2 and a half meters wide and maybe 30 foot length of the ramp. Tomorrow, Sunday, we may actually start mixing cement and pouring it over the rocks.

I´m back to my original thought about Joy´s game. My secret was that I had been a bassoonist in high school, but that when I finished my junior year I discovered that a very talented person was joining the orchestra and band, and clearly would move ahead of me by a chair or two, so I gave up my music career. However, the other part of the reason was that the person was a fantastically talented young woman.

I hastened to say that this was in 1954, 52 years ago when things were different and certain movements had not even moved yet. So I told the music director that I had a very busy academic schedule for my senior year and I wouldn´t be able to play in band or orchestra. Actually I dropped music and took a year of auto mechanics.

I cheated with the game. After witnessing the work of the women on the ramp project I told Joy that I wanted her to have someone randomly draw my secret. Joy cooperated and Stacy drew my secret and since no one but Joy had guessed my secret I confessed that it was me. After spilling the beans I went way out of my way to indicate that I had always know women were smarter, but based on today, I think a lot of them are STRONGER than me. So I apologized to all the women in the world, but particularly those in our group.

Now that you know one of my secrets, please do not ever tell anybody what it is.

After unveiling my new Galapogus tshirt, we were off to Huambalo. I figured it would be a lot cheaper to buy a Galapogus tshirt than to actually go there. I got one nice one, but the other says ¨ I love boobies naturally referring to the blue footed boobies (birds) on Galapogus.

It seemed like a faster trip than usual in the bus barreling along with a dramatic drop off on every curve. but we made it. When we got off the bus in Huambalo at the school, kids ran over to the bus to greet us. It was a very sweet welcome!

Our first item of business was to discuss each child that we had met with and then the speech therapist with the school met with us and we learned what she was doing for speach with the children.

The meeting went on, but Gladys (I will explain below) showed up and Osima, Dennis, and I walked down the street to the Center where we were to construct a ramp to allow wheelchair access to the center. I was given another camera and was assigned to take pictures of the ramp building process. The good news is that there were no pictures of me taking a break. Actually we only took a couple of short breaks in 4 hours. The bad news is that there weren´t any pictures of me doing any work. Dennis has been instructed to see if I could get such a shot tomorrow.

Osima is a carpenter and the one in charge of this project. She did some planning and then pitched right in with our work.

Gladys Cardenas is the Program Director of the FSD Foundation that sponsors the CITTI Project and many other projects. Gladys grabbed a shovel and worked all day with us. This is a very sophisticated woman in charge of so many things and there she was shoveling dirt with us.

We had shovels and hoedads (like a hoe only much larger and very sharp) and started by having Osima laying down a line that would show us how much dirt had to be removed. The ramp is about 8 feet wide and in some places we will have to dig down 8 inches. I was primarily the shovel and wheelbarrow guy. Osima was the boss, but she hoedaded with the best of us. Dennis was the hoedad expert.

Eventually when we finish digging we will move lots of volcanic rocks to the center and lay them on the ramp area. This will be covered with cement to keep the rocks together and then another layer of cement will go over this.

The ramp is beside the stairs with about six inches of dirt between the two. We will put posts in the dirt and build a hand rail that will work on the ramp side and a higher rail for those on the steps side. The ramp is actually wide enough for trucks to use.

The director of the school showed up about one thirty and gave us a ride back to the school for lunch. When we arrived we discovered that there was now a dusting of snow on the top of the Volcano. It still belches fumes due I suppose to the heat down below, but now it has a light covering of snow as well.

Lunch was spinich soup followed by a fried egg, potato pancakes, sausage, beets, carrots, avacodes and rasberry juice. All this was prepared by women of the community. The Ecuadorian people we have met are so giving, and appreciate what we are trying to do to help.

After lunch there was a meeting in which they decided who wanted to work on which projects with the students. Turned out Stacy Springer (occupational therapist) wanted to participate in everything! I just wanted to work on the ramp, a nice manual labor job.

I think that´s most of it. Now after I get off the computer we are all going out to dinner and then I´m sure I´ll be able to get a great sleep. Actually, I´ve been sleeping just fine here in ambato.

Took another ton of pictures and unless I lose my camera, you will get to see as many of them as you´d like.

Regards
Chauncy

What an amazing day. Today was the first day in Huambalo. As we arrived, it became obvious it was not an ordinary day. There to greet us were all of families with their children who attend the special center there in the small corner of the world. They opened their arms with grande brazos for us all. I was struck that everyone remembered us from last year when we first met.

The festivities began with a warm wecome, including speeches of appreciation for the CITTI Project 2006. Officials joined the teachers in sharing their vision and dreams for the children of Huambalo. Their gift to us was a dance by the children, which turned into an hour long fiesta, bringing us all to our feet. It literally brought tears to my eyes to be a ¨part of the community.¨

It was a long day of meeting families and learning about what their hopes and dreams were for their children with disabilities. We are all very happy and mucho tired. What a gift to be part of something so very special.

Gracias por la vida,
Bridgett

After a hot shower and a nice breakfast we headed out in the bus to Huambalo. On the way we got super photo ops of Volcan Tungurahua along the way. It seemed to have a cloud coming out of the crater most of the time, but occasionally it burped with a cloud of darker smoke. We are actually quite away from the volcano and feel quite safe, but what a great view!

My apologies for the lack of photos. I have taken over 300 shots so far and I promise to get several of them up on the blog and up on a website later. `My problem is that I do not have access to Photoshop so I can not reduce the size of the photos. BUT I will later - cross my heart!!

Others will report more about our day in Huambalo. It is a little village 45 minutes from Ambato. We were welcomed by people from the Foundation that supports the school we visited in Huambalo, people that work at the school, the director of the foundation that supports the CITTI Project, Bridgett Perry who is founder of the CITTI Project, and the local political person for the area. Quite a welcome!

And then out came the youngsters from the school to dance for us. It was wonderful! Many of the youngsters wore costumes and had added makeup, etc. for the speciaoccasionon. After the dancing, the students picked people from the audience to dance with. Yes, I danced as long as I could keep up with themLaterer there was much more dancing and I really enjoyed myself. Joy brought a young girl over to where I was sitting and said that the girl wanted someone who would dance and spin her. I agreed and what fun. I spun her so much I got dizzy. Eventually she started leading. I told her that was inappropriate, but she did not understand English. Anyway, it finally got so involved that I would spin her off her feet. I did not get pictures of that, but I know they exist and I will try to get a few.

We spent the day in small groups meeting with parents and their children who they feel have a disability. The total group got to meet with 13 sets of parents and children. This was primarily an opportunity to ask questions of the parents and many times of the children as well. After lunch we saw more children and then went to a center where we will attempt to build a cement ramp for the students.

Lunch was prepared by women of the village and started with a bowl of chicken soup with huge pieces of chicken. This was followed by a big plate with an ear of corn, a large potato, several small potatos, lima beans, and fava beans. We were stuffed!

Tomorrow we take off early again and meet with more parents and children. At some point we may visit the homes of the youngsters, work with their teachers, and eventually try to suggest things that might help to make a difference in their life. We will not be able to cure anything and we will not have dramantic success, but we do hope to get the youngsters started in a better direction.

For people like professor Tom Roberts let me explain why I do not use contractions. I have not found the apostrophe on this machine.
Cheers!

Today we left Ambato and traveled to the small city of Baños where we will be staying during the time we are working with the people of Huambalo.

We had a wonderful stop along the way in the the town of Salasaca where we visited an atisan cooperative that not only had a wide variety beautiful handmade articles for us to peruse, but also served us a delicious and abundant lunch of grilled chicken, choclo (a type of corn), salad, and soup, all prepared by the artists. The young man sitting next to me at lunch was the weaver of the rug that will soon rest at the top of our stairs in Lake Jackson!

The rest of the trip was very scenic, especially as we neared Baños. There are beautiful big green mountains all around and, above them all, the active volcano, Tangurahua, topped by clouds and a plume of smoke. We checked into our Baños hotel late this afternoon and met to discuss what our first day in Huambalo will be like tomorrow. We are all very excited to be here and look forward to our days up close and personal with the families in Huambalo. More soon.

Posted by Lori Haldeman - Ace Reporter

Tuesday we visited a rehab center in Quero called Fundacion Una Luz en tu Vida, or a Light in your Life Foundation. Paola Ortiz talked to the group about the services offered: SLP, PT, Computer Training, and a Special Education room. They currently do not have specific OT services. They would like to see OT services provided in the future. They see approximately 25 children a week serving children with many disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy, Dyslexia, Microcephaly, Down Syndrome, Spina Bifida, Articulation Disorders and they have one student with West Syndrome. Out of the 25-30 students that come for therapy services, 6-7 attend public school. Most of the children come from the Quero area with a few from Ambato. The age ranges are 8 months to 18 years.

This visit was different in that the staff asked many many questions of all the CITTI Project group members about specific strategies for children they see. Many of our folks were able to do some hands on with the therapists and share a variety of strategies. The staff very much wanted treatment information for the kiddos they see. It was a great experience of conversation and sharing of information. I believe that Bridgett has arranged for some staff to come with us to Huambalo for additional information exchange!! How wonderful!

The second Rehabilitation Center we visited was the Centro de Rehabilitacion San Miguel in Salceslo. This was the CITTI Project's second visit. They have 150 children and about 30 adults that visit the clinic. Additionally, they have a special education school that has approximately 26 kids split into two groups. The group was able to observe a PT session were both were work related injuries. One of the patients had tendonitits in her bicep and the other back injuries from carrying heavy goods daily. They both received electrical stimulation and heat therapies. Other services offered are OT, SLP, and in the future are working toward hippotherapy and hydrotherapy. The categories of disability served are mostly Mental Retardation, some Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Microcephaly. The funds for the rehab center are provided by the Catholic Church and the teacher pay is so minimal it might be considered volunteering. We were able to see student work samples and they desire to have an exchange of information regarding assistive technology in the future!! More exciting possibilities and opportunities to look forward to.

Before heading back to Casa Kopling, our wonderful hotel in Ambato, we stopped for ice cream. There were many flavors to choose from. Berrie creams, fruit creams, avocado, chocolate, vanilla, peach, and many many more. I believe Chaucy even had seconds!!

The group went to dinner at a pizza joint. There were a variety of pizzas ordered there as well. It is very interesting to be in Ecuador and eat not only at a French restaurant but a Pizza place!! I can't wait for the Ecuadorian food!!

From Lori Haldeman - Ace Reporter

On Monday 7/24/06 we went to the offices of the Foundation Cuesta Holguin in Ambato to hear of several organizations that are serving individuals with disability. Pablo, the very enthusiastic director of the Foundation.

Fundacin Cuesta Holguin: Founded by the Cuesta family in 1992. The mission of the foundation is to create opportunity while the foundation's vision is focused on human development and creating a self-sustainable way of living. Five projects were shared with the group.
1. A general health care clinic for people who cannot afford public services. They pride themselves on the respect and solidarity they provide their clients.
2. Creation of a shelter for street children that have been abused and are living in poverty. A priority goal is the reconnecting of these children with their families.
3. A computing and copy center: A vocational center run by people with disabilities.
4. Fundacioun Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. A medical center located in a marginal urban neighborhood. They serve 150 persons daily & perform 25 surgeries per month. It is important to them to provide quality service and personal attention and to not see as many people as possible.
5. Illagua Chico: located in an indigenous community that is dedicated to agriculture. Their long term goal is to work with the community to create self- sustainability in a responsible manner.

Next we learned from Danilo Miranda about the Human Integration Network, Red de Integracion Humana, who work with and for people with disabilities. This organization works with companies to insert/include people wth disabilities among their work force. Their long term goal are to create awareness, overcome barriers, improve quality of live, and strengthen the institutions that assist the larger network.

The next organization we learned about is the Proyecto Incersion Socio-Laboral de Personas con Discapacidad en la Provincia de Tungurahua (social labor insertion). Important key points for this organization are that people with disabilities can work and participate. The idea being that people with disabilities need to work too! Their goal is to improve capacity and generate income to become a part of society. They hope to place 60 persons in the year 2006. Another goal is to increase awareness and to give people with disabilities skills and abilities.

From the Foundation we traveled on to the Instituto de Educacion Especial. It is a special education school that serves the Ambato area. They have 120 students, 12 teachers, 6 therapists (SLP, OT, PT, Hippotherapy, Psych services). They have existed for 30 years, first as volunteer, then through a foundation and currently as a public institution. The main disability areas they serve are Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation & Down Syndrome. They have 4 categories for education: 0-6 years, primary, productive center and a therapy center.

The last stop for the day was the Center for Independent Living. They serve the adult population. They are currently working on construction of a therapy room, have a sheltered workshop environment for people with disabilities and also run a copy center and internet cafe in the downtown area.

One of the products of the workshop is dog bones. Two people were demonstrating how they rolled up strips of rawhide and cut them for length. The length and overall size had to meet exact standards. The workers were very proficient at this and enjoyed sharing their expertise.

Heather asked if she could make a dogbone and the gentleman was quick to agree and supervise her work. Lots of pressure on Heather as we all watched. It turned out that Heather is an expert dog bone producer! The gentleman was so impressed that he made a special dog bone for her to take home.

On Friday Gayl Bowser, Osima, and I went to a travel agency to see what was possible for a tour. I had gone through this earlier and knew we could not make it to Otovolo because that is when the rest of the group was to show up. Gayl pointed out that the group would not show up until 10 PM. Stupid me, thank God for women! So we paid $39 each for tickets for the next day to Otovolo Market. We also left an email message for Stacy Springer and Linda Wilson to sign up for the trip as well if they got our message.

Early breakfast, caught the Grayline bus and off for Otovolo with all five of us. The trip itself was very exciting. We climbed up the sides of many many mountains and looked over the edge at the river valley WAY WAY below. Our bus chugged up the mountains and we were continually passed by cars and trucks in no passing zones. Often the passers did not make it by the bus in time, but the on comming traffic tended to move over and let the crazy people pass.
We stopped at Cayambe and ate bizcoches (cheese of the leaf), a warm buttery baked bread along with guseole cheese. We also watched as women made ornaments from a flour and water clay. The original objects they made were edible and used on All Saints Day, the first day after Halloween. Families would then take the bread in the shape of a baby for girls and in the shape of a llama for boys to the cemetary to honor the dead. Today they varnish the clay items and primarily make christmas decorations.

There are markets all over Ecuador and every day there is an marrket going on somewhere, but the Saturday Otavalo market is the cream of the crop in all of Ecuador. Indigenous people from all over come to this market. I had seen one other market, but this one was huge!! I was fascinated by the colors, some stark, some so very beautiful. I was impressed with the woven items, scarfs, shawls, rugs, etc. Also the knitted items and just the amount of products available.
I talked to two of the others that went along and they saw quite different things. They checked out the spices, the food stalls, where they were cooking plantains, potatoes, beef, lamb, and pork. I do not think these stalls would pass our health codes, but they were quite popular. The women also were very interested in the traditional dress of the indigenous people.

The market is a place where the people all expect you to haggle with them. I ended up with an alpacha sweater for 12 dollars, an Ecuador woven purse, a wall hanging, and much more. It is the custom to ask before taking pictures in Ecuador. It is also common to offer to pay for taking the photos. I found a one man band and gave him a dollar. I took several other photos at that price, only to find out that one dollar is quite a bit of money in Ecuador. Most had offered 10 cents or a quarter.

After Otovolo we went to Cotacatchi a town known for leather products. There were many shops with beautiful clothing, purses, suitcases, briefcases, billfolds, etc. These people were a little tougher to bargin with, but all of them did bargin.

I am having some problems getting photos up to the blog. It is not the software, but I am operating from internet cafes and do not have access to software like Photoshop to reduce the size of my photos to a size that will work on the blog. I will keep working on it because I have over 300 pictures so far and a few of them are quite nice.

Yesterday I met a Grayline bus at AM for the tour that took us South through suburbs of Quito where many who work in Quito have houses on the mountainside. It's aparently too expensive to build in Quito. We stopped at an agricultural market, a small town where pigs were on tables on main street after having recently being cooked. We stopped at another maket where there was agriculture and crafts for sale. The woven and knitted things were outstanding. We're anticipating that we'll see even more of such items when we travel to the Otavalo market Saturday.
From there we traveled through the avenue of volcanos. We learned that volcanos are either male or female and that most are married. Some are tough marriages because the volcanos might reside 20 or so miles apart. We left the highway and traveled on dirt roads way way back to the Cotopaxi Volcano National Park. Many volcanos along the way had a cloud cover over them. This was the case when we entered the park, but we went on toward the volcano anyway. We got one or two breaks in the clouds and were able to take pictures of Cotopaxi. The peak is covered with snow. It is claimed that Cotopaxi Volcano is the highest active volcano in the world.
Regarding height, Cotopaxi is right on the Equator and if you measure from the center of the earth and then add on the height of Cotopaxi, it is the highest. The peak is about 18,000 ft and our pictures were taken from about 12,000 feet.
Regarding Active, Cotopaxi continues to give off a little steam and continues to cause earthquakes, but it hasn't erupted in the last 150 years.
Next we traveled further on the dirt roads and ended up at Hacienda San Agustin De Callo. A very old hacienda that is now a hotel. We were offered a special drink from a cactus with a shot of alcahol in it. Then the guide said, we have a surprize for you and into the center of the hacienda came 150 or so Lamas. They were very tame and loved the carrots we fed them. This went on until the guide said, Let's give the lamas a hand to show how much we enjoyed them. Our clapping turned out to be a cue and off through a side door ran the Lamas.
Quite a day!!!

Well, since Chauncy's THIRD day in Ecuador passed today without an installment in the blog, he must have found better things to do today than sit in an cybercafe! We will all look forward to hearing about his adventures. I know that tonight, Gayl and Osima also arrived in Quito and that several of our CITTI people will be getting together for breakfast tomorrow morning! Very exciting!

For those of us still here, getting ready to depart is quite an interesting task! After weeks and weeks of being sure that passports were in order, all innoculations and vaccines were taken on schedule, all emergency medications and dark chocolate for altitude sickness were acquired, various articles of clothing to carry along were identified, and, maybe most important, decisions about whether or not to carry a haridryer were made (Yes, one will be carried! :), there are STILL many things to done as the time for departure nears... and most of them revolve around the fact that hyperconnected me will be leaving the telephone and the computer for two weeks.

It seems that leaving the computer is making my life a little complex at the moment. When all I want to do is pack my rolling duffle and fill up my day bag and head out, I find myself working madly to finish up projects that really cannot wait for two more weeks to come to conclusion, sending handouts for sessions that take place immediately after we return, planning meetings, and all that other stuff that comes with a rewarding, but very busy cyberconnected life. HOWEVER, all that said, two weeks without being connected minute by minute... scary, but WONDERFUL to contemplate! I will love the occasional stop in the cybercafe to check email (Will anyone miss me enough to write?? I hope so?) and write a bit about our adventures for the blog... but spending two weeks without a phone in my pocket and a computer on my hip is something that I find both a little daunting (What if someone needs me? Oh, that is what all of those contact numbers are for?) and a MARVELOUS opportunity to live in the reality of where we are doing what we are here for!

I cannot wait to be on the way and to meet the whole group for breakfast in Quito on Sunday!

Wonderful breakfast at Siera Nevada hotel this morning. Croisant, fresh fruit, cafe con leche, and a smoothie. Talked a taxi driver into a tour of the Old City. Nice, but one needs several hours to really enjoy all there is in the Old City.
The picture is from Independence Plaza in Old Town. The monument celebrates Ecuador´s independence. Behind that is the President´s Palace. In front of all that is a tourist. Sorry, but I´m always going to look like a tourist. I´ll advise all my CITTI Tour friends to walk ahead of me or behind me.
Dinner tonight at the Magic Bean.

Well, I would say we are off to a wild start! Tungurahua, an active volcano, a mile from our hotel, has blown her top just as we depart on our journey to Ecuador. We could take this as a sign, I suppose. An indication of wild adventures to come? A symbol of the fire that drives our team and our mission! Our new icon reminding us the power of the universe and our synchrodestiny with the work in front of us!

The CITTI Project has been growing into a strong and powerful network, and now, we are challenged to live up to our reputation. If the lineup of people on this trip were any indication, I would say we have it covered. It’s the Dream Team of Assistive Technology! Between us, we have over 100 years of experience in a very young field. The passion of this group is unmatched, except for perhaps Vulcan, god of fire. Obviously, he is aware of our imminent arrival.

For me personally, this trip is a dream realized. I am humbled to be invited into communities who have entrusted us to explore with them the possibilities. Regardless of the knowledge and years of experience the team brings, we are students of another culture. It is our task to listen, absorb, watch, and learn. From that perspective, our suggestions and solutions will be graciously guided.

To Pele, Vulcan, and Hephaistos, watch out, here we come!

Bridgett Perry, CITTI Project Director and Founder

Joy Zabala has followed the work of the CITTI Project for several years with great interest and is delighted to get to participate in the Ecuador experience! Joy has been in education for her entire life - first a student, then as a general and special educator, and currently as a consultant and trainer in assistive technology and leadership.

Joy is the developer of the SETT Framework, a founding member of the QIAT Consortium, and the facilitator of The QIAT List (http://www.qiat.org/). She is involved in the Council for Exceptional Children as the current president of the Technology and Media Division (TAM) and the co-chair (with Chauncy Rucker) of the Technology Desk of the International Division (DICES). She endulges her love of international collaborative work and travel with projects in New Zealand, Canada, and India, and by serving on the organizational board of the European Schools Project Association.

Joy shares her Texas home with Adrian, her husband of 40 years, and Calpurnia Puglet, a rambunctious black pug. She and Adrian are the parents of two wonderful daughters, Gaye and Adriana, and the very proud and devoted grandparents of Amanda, Jacob, and Sophie.

Sonia here- I got in last night. I am staying one more night at sierra nevada, then going to otalvalo for a couple days, then back to quito for one night before a week in the Amazon! I will be returning to quito friday night, and I notice that some CITTI folks are already booked at sierra nevada then--I hope to see you then! (for those who don't yet know me, I will be the confused looking american with shoulder length brownish hair and glasses--hopefully less confused after a week adjusting.)

First impressions of Quito: wow, it's huge. quite beautiful from the sky if you fly in at night. Very overwhelming when you get off the plane. altitude sickness hasn't gotten me too much: i've sadly discovered that dark chocolate is the only kind of chocolate I don't like, and i've been feeling like an idiot choking down my schaffenberger (super gourmet, 80% cocoa solids, lovers of dark chocolate would probably kill for it) but it seems to work!

I took a wonderful walking tour of old town quito today--just me and my personal policewoman escort-guide, who spoke very good english and had many interesting insights. I'm now at papaya net, an internet cafe (absolutely, folks, don't bother with laptops), enjoying the most enormous slice of marble cake for $1.50 while I type this. can't find the comma on the keyboard, and a german lady had to clue me in on the ampersand, but I'm getting the hang of it.

Food recommendations so far: the magic bean is in the mariscal area, folc and mera, and it's very reasonable, healthy food--good for adjusting tummies. I had dinner at mama clorinda, victoria and calama, which has good "comida tipica", or Ecuadorian food. everything is quite cheap.

okay, I imagine I have said enough--I just want to give folks who haven't been here yet a bit of a taste. it is a great adventure we 're going on--I can't wait to meet you all!

buenas noches,
sonia

Chauncy taught special education at the University of Connecticut for 30 years, retiring in 1997. He became seriously involved in assistive technology in 1982 through the Dadealus, a funded research project in which a group of youngsters with cerebral palsy at a summer camp were sent home with Apple computers. The gains the students made in writing via the internet were so dramatic that Chauncy was hooked from then on.

In 1983 he began publishing the ConnSENSE Bulletin as a print resource on AT. It became an online AT resource in 2001. He began the UConn graduate emphasis in assistive technology in 1993.

In retirement Chauncy remains active as publisher of the ConnSENSE Bulletin website and ConnSENSE Letter and co-chair of the Technology Desk of DISES, the international division of CEC. He also enjoys travel, building boats, and sailing. He will be serving as an embedded journalist on the CITTI adventure in Ecuador.

In Willimantic Connecticut, about a mile from our home, there is a spring that flows with clean, fresh, cold water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The water is tested twice a month and is very safe and very tasty. People come with jugs to fill from some distance away. I saw a person fill 18 gallon jugs one day, but I’ve heard that some fill even more.

Some draw this water because they like the taste better than the water from their well, or “city water” that has an odor from the chemicals that have been added. A few live in an area where the water is toxic because of chemical waste from an abandoned factory.

We meet the nicest people at the spring. Often people with many jugs to fill will let people with a few jugs to go ahead of them. It’s a real community.

There is no on or off switch for the spring so if keeps on flowing at all times even if no one shows up to take advantage of it. The water that doesn’t end up in jugs flows out to a river and is gone.

As I continue to draw the spring water (we prefer the taste) I think of the water supply in developing nations and see the stark contrast. We will be going to Ecuador and plan to take some gifts along. Oh, to be able to take along a spring that constantly flows---safe, cold, tasty, free water would be such a fantastic gift.

Maggie Morales was a CITTI Team Leader in Mexico and for the trip to Ecuador last year. She has been a special educator for more than 20 years. Her experiences have been in both inclusive and private educational settings. Maggie worked at the Center for Accessible Technology providing support to families, individuals and professionals around the use of computers and assistive technology within the educational and home environments.

She is currently an itinerant teacher for students with Orthopedic Impairments, from ages 3 to 22. In her current job with the Mendocino County Office of Education, Maggie collaborates with other educators and specialists as part of an Assistive Technology Team to provide assistive technology services to students and their families in rural areas.

Chaya has been the CITTI Project Documentarian in Mexico, in a tour to Ecuador in 2005 and will provide this talent for the 2006 CITTI tour to Ecuador. She has been a photographer/documentarian for over 30 years. In addition to capturing the evolution of assistive technology locally and internationally, Chaya helps to make the voice of people with disabilities heard through digital story telling. Beyond her photographic travels in the U.S., Ecuador and Mexico, she has traveled to Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Peru. Examples of her work are available on her website at:

http://redeyephotos.com

Bridgett Perry is the founder and director of the Community Inclusion Through Technology International (CITTI) Project. She has led study tours to Mexico, Ecuador, and the Bahamas. Bridgett is an Assistive Technology Specialist for the Mt. Diablo Unified School District in Northern California. Her first exposure to assistive technology was 1987 when she worked in one of the first assistive technology resource centers in the U.S. For many years Bridget has been a lecturer in the Special Education Department of San Francisco State University. Her work there has focused introducing teachers to assistive technology. Bridgett is an associate of the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA). Her interest in international disability issues was enhanced by a fellowshipfrom the International Disabilities Exchanges and Studies in 1989, funded by the World Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation International.