Every 30 minutes during his work-day, Harry Lynch feels a slight vibration on his wrist.

Generated by the blue Watch Minder on his wrist, it helps remind him to stay focused on the task at hand. 

Since he began using the watch several months ago, his productivity at work is way up and his managers at Gummer Wholesale and the members of his support team are excited.

“He’s been a great worker, he’s come a long way and he’s doing great,” said Stephen Fadley,  a Career Services Specialist at Licking/Knox Goodwill Industries who has been supporting Harry. “His numbers are fantastic.”

A graduate of Bloom Carroll High School, Harry, 22, participated in the Project SEARCH program at Fairfield Medical Center.

One of the internship rotations he enjoyed was in Materials Management, where he had the opportunity to pack items for distribution throughout the hospital.

After graduation, Harry began working with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. When his family moved to Granville, he continued working with OOD and picked Goodwill as his provider.

After working with Stephen on his resume, he got several offers but decided to go with Gummer.

“It seemed like they were friendly people, it paid a little more and I really liked the schedule,” Harry said.

For the last year and a half, he’s worked there as a picker/packer, using a hand scanner to fill boxes with candy, gum and other products. 

Several months ago, his team began meeting with Harry and his parents to brainstorm ways to increase his picking speed.

“Sometimes I get too focused and stop paying attention to other things,” Harry explained.

Since Harry likes technology, they thought assistive technology would be a great way to help him stay on task.

Although there are many cell phone apps that provide reminders, Gummer does not allow employees to have their phones on the warehouse floor.

His LCBDD Transition Specialist Jaclyn Alexander and his LCBDD Service Coordinator Tiffany Tom started looking at alternatives. 

They reached out to the OCALI Lending Library, which allows Ohioans to try a variety of assistive technology options. One of their recommendations was the Watch Minder.

Harry was able to use his Family Support Services (FSS) funds provided by LCBDD, to purchase the watch and Stephen helped him set it up when it arrived.

The watch’s vibrations are just enough to notice, and it’s made a big difference, Harry said. He’s feeling really confident in his job and enjoys his coworkers.

When he’s not working, Harry enjoys gaming and is active in DeMolay International, a fraternal organization for young men that does civic service.

He and his family are considering other forms of assistive tech and remote support,  as he plans to pursue his goal of living on his own.

For more information about how assistive technology and remote supports can help you, talk to your LCBDD service coordinator or visit https://lcountydd.org/techfirst/.