Card decks help autistic with everyday tasks

TORONTO – Whirlpool brand announced a collaboration with Magnusmode, a social enterprise leveraging technology to help autistic and neurodiverse people gain independence in their daily lives. To help make everyday chores around the home more accessible, Whirlpool brand and Magnusmode are launching 10 new Home Care digital guides (‘Card Decks’) in Magnusmode’s app, MagnusCards.

MagnusCards is a life skills library that provides step-by-step instructions and visual cues for everyday tasks and experiences with collectible Card Decks. Using proven educational methods, every Card Deck is carefully crafted as a how-to guide for day-to-day tasks like brushing teeth, taking public transit, going grocery shopping, personal care, and much more. Whirlpool brand’s new Card Decks will be the first in the app’s ‘Home Care’ category.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Whirlpool brand to provide Home Care Card Decks for autistic and neurodiverse Canadians,” says Nadia Hamilton, founder and president of Magnusmode. “Having support for daily living activities removes barriers to independence in the home, and empowers people to care for their personal space, their family, and themselves.”

As the pandemic exacerbated the need for virtual care for home-based skills, Magnusmode and Whirlpool brand worked to develop the Home Care Card Decks which break down and simplify kitchen and laundry tasks. The Card Decks cover practical life skills such as loading the dishwasher, how to store and organize food in the refrigerator, washing clothes in a washer, how to read laundry symbols, and more.

“MagnusCards provide the opportunity to show people that you can cook on the stove or do laundry, and do it successfully,” says Kathy, parent of a Magnusmode app user. “The collaboration between the Whirlpool brand and MagnusCards has made me feel that my daughter Rachel will be able to manage, she will have a good life and she will be able to do things because she can learn them.”

With 1-2%* of the Canadian population on the autism spectrum, these 10 Home Care Card Decks provide the tools for hundreds of thousands of Canadians to live with greater independence.

“Whirlpool brand is committed to helping families thrive,” says Janice Ryder, senior manager of brand experience at Whirlpool Canada. “As the Exclusive Homecare Sponsor of Magnusmode in Canada, we see this partnership as a natural fit for the brand, putting our brand purpose into action to serve Canadians better.”

MagnusCards by Magnusmode is available to download for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Visit whirlpool.ca/magnusmode to learn more.

About Magnusmode
Magnusmode’s mission is to create practical tools that improve everyday experiences and enable people with neurodiverse abilities to participate in the world in ways that are meaningful to them. Founder Nadia Hamilton was inspired by her autistic brother to create Magnusmode and the award-winning app, MagnusCards. MagnusCards is an innovative app that provides digital, step-by-step visual guides (in the form of collectible Card Decks) to support home and community living for autistic and neurodiverse people worldwide. Each Card Deck is sponsored by enterprise clients including Trader Joe’s, CIBC, Kraft Heinz, M&T Bank, New York City Transit, Colgate-Palmolive, San Francisco International Airport, A&W, and WestJet who offer MagnusCards to make their products and services autism-friendly. Companies across North America have joined the Inclusion Revolution!

About Whirlpool Brand
For more than one hundred years, Whirlpool brand has been inspired by how people care for their families. Whirlpool brand is designing home appliances that are focused on improving how families give and get the care they need with the latest technologies and innovations – whether that means flexible refrigerator storage for all types of family needs, induction technology for efficient cooking and easier cleaning, or laundry pairs that allow you to customize the way you wash and offer the latest in connected technologies. Whirlpool Canada and its Whirlpool brand are part of Whirlpool Corporation, a leading appliance manufacturer committed to being the best global kitchen and laundry company, in constant pursuit of improving life at home. For more information on Whirlpool, please visit whirlpool.ca/everydaycare or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/whirlpoolcanada or Twitter at @whirlpool_ca. Additional information about the company can be found at whirlpoolcorp.com.

*According to the Canadian Medical Association and National Autism Spectrum Disorder Surveillance System