Hello Friends,

Some of you may have noticed by now that I have been consistently writing blogs for Arc of Westchester’s technology page. Several articles have been written by me, reviewing mobile applications and other forms of accessible technology to assist developmentally/intellectually delayed individuals.

Until this point, you know me only by name. I feel it would be appropriate for me to give you a brief description of who I am and why I do what I am doing.

My name is Daniel Fuster, and I am the Person-Centered Quality Facilitator for Arc of Westchester. My responsibilities include focusing on quality improvement by interacting with individuals supported by Arc of Westchester. I do this by educating them about the importance of advocacy, digital literacy, digital/mobile technology, and emergency preparedness.

…in a nutshell, I try to teach people whom we support how they can assist themselves to achieve as much independence and self-reliance as possible.

Some facts about me:

• I have a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA)
• I have a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (B.S.)
• I have an Associate’s degree in Communications and Media Arts (A.A.)
• I have family members on the autism spectrum
• I advocated and assisted in obtaining proper public housing for the disabled community at my previous employment.
• I have several certifications from the Department of Homeland Security (FEMA). This qualifies me to share knowledge about crisis management to individuals with disabilities.
• I have worked alongside the White Plains Department of Public Safety to create a plan that would incorporate communication technology for the disabled community to assist first responders with acting effectively.
• I helped create an evacuation plan for the disabled at DHS’s office in the new Freedom Tower.

I, myself, have a disability. I am legally blind. So, I am well aware of the needs for all individuals with disabilities and I feel that it is an inalienable right for disabled people to be treated no differently than anyone else.

I do what I do for Arc of Westchester, not only because it is my job, but also because I love doing what I am doing. The future is here!  Many of you reading this may remember those old episodes of Star Trek where Captain Kirk is holding a tablet which does pretty much anything. Well, that was fiction, and now its reality. And the things we can do with these things blow my mind out of the water.

A lot of these “Apps”, are difficult to find. But they’re there. When you find them, your life can literally change in seconds. You’ll be able to do anything from monitoring your medication; to giving you the ability to communicate with the world around you.

For those who are in dire need of finding a solution to the problem as soon as possible, you may not have the time nor patience to spend hours behind a computer, digging through the infinite world of the Internet to look for that “magical app”. That is why I am here, to assist you to the best of my abilities. I think of what people may benefit from most, and I look for the best solution for the problem.

I want you or your loved one to struggle less and strengthen the skills that are already present. I will not say that I want them to be as “normal as possible”. We all may be affected by a disability at some time in our lives. I hope that you find my posts helpful. If you ever have any questions or concerns, leave a comment or email me. (dfuster@arcwestchester.org)

All the best,

Daniel Fuster, MPA
Person Centered Quality Facilitator
Arc of Westchester
T: 914-495-4645