mobility, mounting, seating & positioning
UNLOCK AUTONOMY Achievement Board
My name is Will Pearce, and I’m from Charleston, South Carolina. I’m the founder of Attento Board, a small business dedicated to creating simple yet effective tools for people with disabilities and the elderly. My path to the world of assistive technology isn’t a traditional one—I don’t have a background in medicine or engineering. But I’m a firm believer in keeping things simple and purposeful. On April 1, 2017, my life changed forever. I collapsed from cardiac arrest while running a 10K race in Charleston. Thank- fully, EMTs witnessed the incident, defibrillated me twice, and got me to the hospital in under five minutes. I was placed in an induced hypothermic coma for 3.5 days and given just a 4% chance of survival. Against all odds, I made a full recovery. People often told me, “You’re still here for a reason,” but it wasn’t until a few years later that I discovered my purpose. During the COVID pandemic, a friend and I started making bamboo cutting and charcuterie boards to sell at local markets. Our boards were unique, featuring a peg system that allowed users to secure dishes and transport them with ease. While working at a farm stand, I befriended a woman who was losing dexterity in her hands. I gave her one of our boards, hoping it might help her in the kitchen. Instead, she began using it as a dinner tray, securing her dishes while sitting in her recliner.
Briella uses the Achievement Board to work on her motor skills.
WILL PEARCE, Founder of Attento Board. The name “Attento” stems from the Italian word for “Careful,” and our motto is all about “Helping Achieve Independence”. This journey began when my life took an unexpected turn. In April 2017, I collapsed from Cardiac Arrest and was given a 4% chance of survival while running a 10K race. Defying the odds, emerged with a newfound purpose. In the pursuit of making a positive impact, the Attento Board was started with some “Covid Creativity”. Originally conceived as a cutting board and dish carrier, it evolved into something more significant—a versatile board with incredible potential for people with disabilities, children, and the elderly.
February / March, 2025 | https://www.closingthegap.com/benefits-of-membership/ 7 Closing The Gap © 2025 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
BACK TO CONTENTS
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator