ADAPT Community Network Launches Smart Living Center for Accessible Technology in the Bronx

The opening was marked by an Open House and Resource Expo, which featured formal remarks, guided tours of the facility, and an expo showcasing adaptive technology and other supports available to people with disabilities.

ADAPT Community Network opened its Smart Living Center in the Bronx on September 24, 2026, unveiling a home-like space where people with disabilities can explore and experience accessible and adaptive technologies designed to support independence, safety, and community participation.

Jenna Mandel-Ricci, Chief Executive Officer of ADAPT Community Network, said the center reflects both the organization's history and its direction forward. She noted that for decades ADAPT has invested in adaptive technology and observed how pairing the right technology with the right support can expand choice and independence. She described the center as a place where people can experience those possibilities in a home-like setting while giving families, providers, innovators, researchers, and policymakers a collaborative space to learn from one another.

The event included a panel discussion titled 'Adaptive Technology Progress and Innovation through Partnership,' featuring Chris Maher, Founder of Samaritan Partners; Brian Hart, Chief Executive Officer of ShiftAbility; James Kaufman, Deputy Commissioner of Policy and Program Development at the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities; and AnnMarie Thomas, a Self-Advocate with ADAPT Community Network.

Thomas said she is grateful to ADAPT for using technology to help persons with disabilities live more independently in their daily lives.

Corporate sponsors of the event included We Hear You, Prolo, MapHabit, Smart Hygiene, Xander, Noss, and Baketivity.

Center to Remain Open for Tours and Collaboration

Following the launch, individuals, families, providers, and partners will be able to access the Smart Living Center through regular tours and special events. ADAPT also intends to use the space to foster collaboration among technology companies, researchers, funders, and public-sector partners with the aim of advancing access, education, evaluation, and innovation in adaptive technology.

ADAPT Community Network is a not-for-profit human services organization operating more than 100 programs across New York City and the Hudson Valley, serving over 20,000 children and adults with disabilities and their families through education, technology, healthcare, residential, and recreational services. Those wishing to arrange a private tour may contact Ronak Parikh at info@cedarvisionhub.com.