Featured Healthcare & Accessibility Grants

We are proud to support nonprofit organizations across the nation. Below we've profiled some of the organizations we've invested in and the positive contributions they've made in technology for healthcare and accessibility.


Home Guardian Senior Sensor

"The Home Guardian system is like having a guardian angel on Maryann’s shoulder. It will notify us whenever something is amiss, so we can intervene and make sure she has the best possible chance for a positive outcome."

Even at age 88, Maryann is determined to live independently. However, five years ago she had a stroke that permanently impaired her speech and mobility. As a result, she communicates poorly, has difficulty using a phone and is dependent on a walker to move around her apartment.

Maryann has two children, but neither lives nearby. And although she won’t admit it to her children, she worries about falling. What she needs is an early warning system that identifies emerging problems and ensures a quick response when she needs help.

Home Guardian Senior Sensor from Volunteers of America does just that. It pairs monitoring technology with professional interpretation of data and an immediate response system. Maryann feels better knowing help will come if she needs it, and her children receive better information about the status of her health.


American Foundation for the Blind - Senior Site

The AFB's Senior Site is an online resource for teaching aging adults with limited or declining vision and their caretakers how to maintain independent and productive lives. Through Verizon's investment, the AFB will expand the Web site's resources to help users understand vision loss, find help and support, adapt home and office environments, manage daily living, and engage in fitness and fun. Among the valuable tools available for free on the AFB Senior Site are:

  • Tips on simple changes for the home that make it easier for someone with low vision to navigate, such as using contrasting colors on light switch plates, or using different textures on different surfaces
  • A nationwide database of services for seniors with low vision, such as where to find large print or audio books, where to receive computer training, and comprehensive listings of counseling centers
  • A glossary of terms on age-related vision loss and descriptions of various conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma

In addition to informative written material, the AFB Senior Site contains a library of videos. There are demonstrations on everything from meal preparation, to instruction on using adaptive devices, to tips on shaving and applying makeup. The site also includes inspiring video testimonials from seniors who refuse to allow their vision loss to slow them down. Visitors can also participate in message boards designed to foster a sense of community among seniors and family members dealing with vision loss. Topics include exercise, travel and recreational opportunities.


World Institute on Disability

The World Institute on Disability and the American Red Cross announced the creation of an innovative national training, awareness and action program to help Red Cross staff and volunteers better serve people with disabilities during disasters. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross saw a need to improve outreach and response to vulnerable populations, such as people with disabilities, the elderly, children and low-income communities. The World Institute on Disability (WID) and the American Red Cross will set up a pilot program in one of 10 targeted locations across the country that could be affected by a high-risk disaster such as an earthquake or forest fire. The pilot location has not yet been selected, but among the locations selected for the training are Chicago, Houston, New Orleans and New York. Goals of the program include:

  • Improved emergency preparedness and disaster response by Red Cross staff and volunteers for people with disabilities.
  • Increased collaboration between the American Red Cross and local community-based disability organizations and resources.
  • Increased understanding of the special needs of those with disabilities in disaster situations.

Once the pilot program is complete, the American Red Cross will expand the training to all 10 locations to teach 200-300 staff members and volunteers how to better serve people with disabilities in emergency preparedness and disaster response. The WID also will develop disability resource directories for each location, including information on local community-based disability organizations.


University of Maryland Medical Center - Operating Room of the Future

At the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), less is more - at least when it comes to traditional surgery. Clinicians at the UMMC are pioneering new methods of minimally invasive and non-invasive surgeries. In this new model of healing, doctors perform successful operations through very small surgical access points, which can result in less trauma and faster recovery times. UMMC's innovative program relies on state-of-the-art technology including a surgical simulation center being built with Verizon's help. By performing procedures hundreds or even thousands of times on computer-generated patients, UMMC residents, fellows and clinical students learn critical surgical skills such as spatial relations and increased dexterity they will need to operate with cameras, scopes and lasers instead of scalpels. UMMC and the University of Maryland School of Medicine are recognized for their visionary approach to medicine that integrates academic excellence with corporate support for advanced medical technologies and better patient care.