April 17, 2025
For a number of years, I’ve sat on the board of a non-profit that used to be called Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers.
From the 1970s to the early 2020s, capuchin monkeys in the organization were trained to help people with physical challenges: feeding them, scratching a literal itch, picking up something from the floor, turning lights on and off, loading a videotape.
The monkeys are now retiring and living good golden monkey years: frolicking with other monkeys, finding a sunbeam to nap in, having fun on monkey-oriented jungle gyms. Unlike dogs, they are not at their happiest living domestic lives with people.
In 2023, the name of the organization was changed to Envisioning Access. Its focus is on finding alternative approaches to help people live independently that will take the place of help from monkeys. Some of these approaches involve the talents of designers and builders.
Technological advances will also help people live in their own homes much better than an animal could. Technology can even make life more fun for those with limited mobility. One project is looking at how virtual reality can help people play video games that might otherwise require twisting the torso as well as access social sites that ordinarily would require use of the fingers.
More than 40 million Americans have a disability. To help accommodate the needs of so many of our neighbors, I am proud to serve on the board of Envisioning Access.
