
It all began with Hannah.
Hannah is 13 years old. She is not able to sit, stand or roll over independently. She has Cerebral Palsy. She is basically non verbal and has very poor motor control. While Hannah may be very limited in her abilities, she will still light up a room with her smile, her laugh and her squeals of delight. Like many pre-teens, Hannah is incredibly creative. She uses a tablet to make music and play games. The difference is that Hannah’s physical limitations require her to be in a wheelchair.
Hannah’s interactions with the tablet were often difficult because the device was very slim and tough to keep steady. So her grandfather, Don Albee, built a simple device that Hannah could use from her wheelchair to help make the tablet more accessible. What happened next was completely unexpected.
Hannah’s classmates were enamored with the device. They loved using it as well. So, Jeff Albee, Hannah’s uncle, worked to create a product prototype for what is now known as TabletTable.
The device has quickly gained support, especially in the greater Nashville area. TabletTable was featured in a recent episode of “The Nashville Entrepeneurship Story,” (http://www.ec.co/ec-blog/2015/7/3/story-5-tablettable-member-spotlight-preflight-ntc-and-startup-global-seminar) a
podcast produced by the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, where Jeff Albee was able to tell the story of the device and its early successes.
“I thought it was just a market for people who had motor impairments,” Albee says in the interview. “Then it turned into, especially being in Nashville here, a healthcare product really quickly, and I never would have thought of that, honestly.”
Listen to the interview:
And now, here we are. With a renewed focus on making modern devices accessible for everyone, TabletTable is now testing a prototype of version 2.0 of the product. Thanks to the impact of broadening the scope of the audience into healthcare, new additions to version 2.0 include the ability to adjust the angle of the platform and additional storage space for accessories to increase portability.
TabletTable has grown from Don Albee’s garage to a realized product that’s making a difference in people’s lives.
It’s been an incredible journey – one that we often can’t even believe ourselves. And it all began with Hannah.
If you’re interested in TabletTable, please consider supporting our Kickstarter campaign. Together, we can make technology accessible for everyone.