Why I started Supported Connections

For my family, connection was personal.

My mother lived with dementia, and my father had aphasia after multiple strokes. Using a phone, remembering a routine or staying in touch could take more thought and support.

I simplified my mother’s phone with Oscar Senior and set up tablets so my sisters and I could connect with our parents more easily. I configured an Astro robot to help with daily routines and play her Bee Gees music videos at night.

Those experiences made accessibility real to me. The starting point was always a person: what mattered to them, what was difficult, and what I could change to make it easier.

Listening became part of how I build.

As a program manager supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I started by asking, “What can be better?” I helped people learn to use technology in their everyday lives.

I later brought Oscar Senior into 43 residential homes at work. I handled purchasing, setup, configuration and deployment, and I continue to manage the devices. That gave me practical experience taking an idea from one household into many different settings.

Friendship deserves the same care.

That is the approach I’m bringing to Supported Connections. I believe adults should have more opportunities to meet people, discover shared interests and enjoy activities together—and an understandable way to take part.

An app can offer plenty of features and still be hard to use. I’m building this one around clear next steps, room to go at your own pace and choices that stay yours.

Who you connect with. Whether you join in. When you want support. Your voice should shape each of those decisions.

My goal is to make it easier to start a friendship, while keeping you in charge of what happens next.

Ryan
Founder, Supported Connections LLC