I had a classmate in college who quipped that she wanted to bring about positive change and to do good for society–that’s why she had narrowed her career choices to either real estate or advertising.
The joke still brings a smile to my face but thankfully there’s some truth to her tongue-in-cheek career musings about the advertising industry as evidenced in this week’s lead story on the Hacking Autism initiative, which grew out of an invaluable insight uncovered by John Coyne, group account director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, for its then client Hewlett Packard.
“Our job was to sell HP’s TouchSmart technology computers,” related Rich Silverstein, co-chairman/creative director of GS&P. “In trying to figure out ways to apply the touch screen technology, John thought of a family he knew whose son had autism. John isn’t a scientist but he wondered if the youngster, Jordan, would find the touch screen interesting. As it turns out, Jordan found the technology riveting and began communicating through it. John saw the amazing potential and pursued it, pushing to get the technology in the hands of families we identified, to see if these results could be replicated.”
GS&P hooked up with HP’s chief technologist Phil McKinney (since retired) who provided access to TouchSmart technology for designated families, working with Hope Technology School, which specializes in educating a classroom mix inclusive of both neurotypical students and those with developmental differences. McKinney’s impetus brought HP into the fold to team with GS&P and Hope Technology School to create Hacking Autism, an initiative to develop and deploy technology to give people with autism a voice. Families impacted by autism, technologists and educators met last October for a two-day Hacking Autism session at HP headquarters to develop innovative touch-enabled applications for those with autism, and to make this software available free of charge.
While Coyne got the ball rolling, picking up that ball and running with it on the filmmaking front were Bodega Studios’ partner/executive producer Clint Goldman and director Peter Sorcher.
Bodega and its artisans committed time, talent and financial resources to a short-subject documentary that put a human face on the technology-fueled breakthrough.
Sorcher and Goldman spent the better part of two years chronicling 22 families with children affected by autism and how touch-screen technology impacted the youngsters’ lives. Titled I Want To Say, the powerful, emotionally moving and enlightening documentary produced by Goldman and directed by Sorcher wound up focusing on six of those families,
These families opened their homes and bared their lives and souls to the camera in exchange, said Goldman, “for the hope that they can help just one other child. Maybe a child in some part of the world they’ve never seen who some day will get access to a discarded iPad and download some free software–and that child will be able to talk, to connect with others, to participate in life just like your children and mine. That’s all these kids want–to be like you and me.”
Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior
Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More