At a young age, Cesar was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which affects the skeletal muscles responsible for movement, caused by a loss of motor neurons. Because he was an artist who originally used typical paint brushes and pencils, symptoms of his condition became an obstacle. Muscle weakness worsens with age, so when Cesar’s hand lost strength, he changed his painting process to pour paint and let gravity help manipulate it. After becoming unable to use both his hands for painting, he needed another solution to continue his work; that’s where Easterseals Massachusetts (ESMA) came into the picture. After being told by many service providers that his dreams for painting were impossible or too expensive, Easterseals engineered a custom home painting system using assistive technology. Cesar is not only able to live a fuller life with his ultimate passion (painting), but he is also a local professional artist who supports himself through his incredible work. "Life can take you in many different directions. Not everything ends up how one might expect, but the beauty of life is in the possibilities of those different routes." Artist, Cesar, conveys this idea in his work, stating his paintings, “...take your mind in many directions, leaving the door open for conversation.”
Originally, Cesar was utilizing ESMA services to acquire an adaptive bed control, a device controlled by a cell phone or Amazon Echo/Google Home. However, during the installation of the bed, Cesar had expressed to his Assistive Technology Specialist, Tom, how much he missed being able to paint during the installation of the adaptive bed.
After sharing his preliminary design ideas for handling the canvas and pouring the paint, the team at Easterseals built Cesar a custom painting box. Tom, an engineer, and an Assistive Technology expert, used the basic concept of the design and modified it based on available materials, the method of control he required, flexibility, and versatility of use. Tim explained he wanted to, “...make [the box] easier to build, maintain and move,” for him. The box uses Bluetooth technology, through which Cesar can pour paint from a cup attached to a linear actuator. Next, he can tilt the canvas in various directions to spread the paint around into the mysterious terrains or roads that his style commonly depicts.”
This is both a story of individual success for Cesar and a testament to Easterseals' commitment to the principles of a person-centered, itinerate service model. The itinerate model is so important because it ensures Assistive Technology (AT) services are provided in someone’s home, in their school, or, more importantly, in the real environment where the technology or devices will be used. Eric Odelfieson, VP of Assistive Technology Services, explained, “Often, AT services are evaluated and prescribed in a clinical environment, wherein the client inevitably faces complications or hardships implementing the suggested services after the fact. Our clinicians are not only experts in their technical skill set; they are also experts in identifying individual goals in unique contexts. We’re not trying to create skills, the skills exist, we’re circumventing a problem and getting people there!”
Cesar, for example, was searching for a bed control when he realized through organic conversation with the therapist that Easterseals may be able to help him devise a piece of technology to help him start painting again- a passion he feared would just inevitably fade away. Easterseals was able to help Cesar not only delve back into his passion for art but also expand his independence with the use of technology.
Cesar's story exemplifies the importance of ESMA’s Assistive Technology Program while also demonstrating how limitless the possibilities are in this ever-evolving field. Cesar’s work has now been featured in:
- Constellations in Color and Form at Agora Gallery (2019)
- Artifacts and Incidents: Memory and the Creative Process (2019)
- Sprinkler Factory, Signals (2018)
- ArtsWorcester, Twelfth Annual College Show (2015)
Since 2019, software and robotics technology have progressed. In 2024, Cesar decided he wanted to create a new machine, and once again, he reached out to ESMA. ESMA AT Specialist and Engineer Tiffany is now working with Cesar on a new prototype!
As a graduate of Pappas Rehabilitation for Children (PRHC), Cesar decided that he would also like the children of PRHC to experience the joy of making art and have two machines created. This ambitious goal led Cesar to organize an Art Exhibit and raffle off one of his artworks, Untitled 25.
Cesar’s story will be updated when his vision becomes reality.
