November
2014
ISSUE
No. 5
RESNA MEMBER NEWS
Plan ahead for Denver!

Save the date for RESNA's annual conference in Denver, Colorado, June 10-14, 2015! The annual RESNA conference is a unique, multi-disciplinary gathering of assistive technology professionals from all over the world. 

 

Workshop and instructional course submissions deadlines have now passed, but please note the following dates: 

  • December 2, 2014 - Registration begins for the Student Design Competition
  • January 13, 2015 - Scientific and Student Scientific Papers due 
  • April 3, 2015 - Student Design Competition registration closes 
  • April 17, 2015 - Student Design Competition submission deadline 

Thank you to our first sponsors, Ride Designs, Inc. (Gold Sponsor) and Quantum Rehab, a Pride Mobility Products Corporation Company (Silver). Sponsorship and exhibitor information is now posted on the website. Sign a contract by December 31, and receive a 10% discount off of any sponsorship or booth!

Early bird conference registration and the preliminary program announcement will be in January. Visit the conference website for more information. 
Message from the President
Report from South Korea
Ray Grott, RESNA President

I recently had the privilege of travelling to South Korea, representing RESNA and my AT program at San Francisco State University. My visit was sponsored by the Employment Development Institute (EDI), directed by Dr. Eona Kim, which is under KEAD -- the section of the South Korean Department of Labor tasked with increasing the employment of people with disabilities.  I toured and gave a presentation at their annual AT Device Expo in Seoul, where I saw products from manufacturers we are familiar with in North America as well as locally developed solutions. The following day, I gave a presentation to EDI staff covering employment policies and related AT service delivery in the U.S., the movement for "Employment First" promoting the integration of people with disabilities into the mainstream workforce, and RESNA's Certification program for AT professionals.  More
Catching the Design Bug
What's it like to win an award at the Student Design Competition?

Jane Hankins, Jennifer Black, and Roxanne Chandler of the
Doodle Bug Team

The first time she came to the RESNA conference as a student design competition finalist, Jane Hankins thought she was in way over her head. "I remember sitting there, after we made our presentation to the judges, and wondering what were we doing there," she said. "Everyone was so savvy and smart. Here I am, a special educator with all these engineers. It was intimidating."


But that didn't stop her, or her teammates, Jennifer Black and Roxanne Chandler. Students in the special education program at California Lutheran University, they caught the bug - the Doodle Bug, that is. Jane and her team won the award for "Technology Most Likely to Become Commercially Available"  at the 2013 RESNA Student Design Competition with the Doodle Bug Writing Aid, a small, inexpensive device that allows those with hand injuries, congenital malformations, or arthritis to hold a pen or pencil and write independently. The award came with a $500 cash prize and an internship at the Center for the Translation of Rehabilitation Engineering Advances and Technology (TREAT), which included a $5,000 budget to further develop the product.  More
Member News

NCIS Character using the Mount N' Mover
Photo: Skip Bolen/CBS 
�CBS Broadcasting, Inc.  All rights reserved
Now starring on TV: the Mount'n Mover
The Mount'n Mover, a mount for wheelchairs designed by RESNA member Dianne Goodwin of BlueSky Designs, is now playing a supporting role on the hit show NCIS: New Orleans. The product is mounted to the chair of Special Agent Patton Plame, played by Daryl Mitchell, an actor with paraplegia. The character uses the Mount'n Mover to hold his computer keyboard.  It all started with a phone call from Stephen Noell, the prop master on the show. More 


Short film "An Accessible Life" debuts at state conference
RESNA member Lynne Deese, MA, ATP, an Assistive Technologist with the North Carolina Assistive Technology Program (NCATP) and chair of RESNA's Educators PSG, recently completed a film about the the life experiences of assistive technology users. The film showcases the contributions of assistive technologists and family members who work with these users as they embarked on a new way to attend school, interact with others, participate in meaningful work, and express their spirit. The film debuted at North Carolina's G.R.E.A.T conference on October 23, 2014. More
Board and Committee News

 

RESNA endorses  "The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access"

The RESNA Board of Directors voted on November 3 to endorse this declaration, first announced at the 13th Annual Coleman Institute National Conference on Disability and Technology in 2013. RESNA joins 191 organizations in support.  More

 

Professional Standards Board 

The Professional Standards Board, charged with oversight of RESNA's certification programs (ATP, SMS, and RET) recently elected a new chair and added several new board members. The new chair is Daniel Cochrane, ATP, the assistive technology specialist/coordinator for Community Unit School District 200 in Wheaton and Warrenville, near Chicago, Illinois. More

 

International SIG launches DIY Competition

The International Special Interest Group is launching a "D-I-Y" competition to encourage the development of innovative "do-it-yourself" devices that can solve the needs of people with disabilities in developing countries. Thanks to a generous donation from Whirlwind Wheelchair, cash prizes are being offered for first, second and third place. The deadline for submission is April 1, 2015. Visit the International SIG page on the website for more information. 

 
Upcoming Webinars
All webinars are $28 for RESNA members, $40 for non-members, unless otherwise indicated. RESNA is authorized to offer 0.1 CEUs per webinar.

For more information, visit the Professional Development section on the website.  
Bits n' Bobs
News items so unique, they don't fit any category - like RESNA!

RESNA's PEAT Project conducts survey on online job accessibility
The PEAT Project, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, is seeking people with disabilities to participate in a survey about online job applications and accessibility. Please help spread the word! More 

Want to know more about RESNA's Catalyst Project? Watch the webcast
The Virginia Commonwealth University's Rehabilitation Research Training Center on Employment and People with Disabilities recently hosted a webinar presented by Joey Wallace about the RESNA Catalyst Project. The webinar provides an overview of the project, the state AT Act Programs, and the state Financial Loan Programs. Click here for archived webcast. 

New mobile app for complex rehab technology available for free 
The new CRT Catalog App, produced by medMark Consultants, Inc., features complex rehab technology resources and information for ATPs and other professionals to use while on the go, working in the field with clients. Access sales brochures, product information, news events and CEU opportunities. RESNA has recently signed on as a sponsor of the app, joining NRRTS, NCART, United Spinal Association, and Users First. Click here to download the app. 
Looking to volunteer?    

Interested in helping out, making connections with colleagues, and giving back? We want you! RESNA has several volunteer openings:
  • RESNA Ad-Hoc Accreditation Committee - this new committee is seeking a diversity of members to assist in developing accreditation materials for assistive technology training programs. The deadline to submit an on-line application is November 26th. More 
  • AT Standards Committees - RESNA is a standards-setting organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). All of the committees are required to have a balance of consumers, clinicians, manufacturers, and others. Visit the AT Standards section on the website and get involved! 
  • Website curators - Now that the new website is live, we are seeking interested volunteers in curating pages of the new Knowledge Center. This new section is designed to be an information repository of member knowledge considered important to the rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology field. Curators will be in charge of a designated page, and will be trained on how to add content to the website.  E-mail the RESNA office if interested. 
Membership Questions: membership@resna.org
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RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America, is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions.


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