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RERC Information Center

Organizations

1. AAC TechConnect
   The purpose of AAC TechConnect is to simplify augmentative communication evaluations with toolkits, online resources, and workshops. Free resources on the AAC TechConnect website include a listing of new AAC devices; contact information for all major AAC manufacturers; and product information on nearly 100 AAC devices, with links to downloadable manufacturers' flyers. Fee for service resources include Device Assistant, a search tool for AAC devices based on features of nearly 100 devices, providing a side-by-side comparison; Lite Tech Low Cost, an AAC chart of low-cost equipment (less than $1500 US), including both non-voice and voice output communication tools and devices; ACE - Evaluation Toolkit, a list of tools for AAC evaluation; ACE - Evaluation Assistant, with premade materials and overlays to assist in AAC evaluations for a variety of language levels on a popular communication software application; Paperwork Assistant to help with the AAC evaluation process and paperwork; and training sessions on AAC Simplified: Overview and Evaluation Tools. AAC TechConnect is currently a project of the AAC-RERC, a collaborative research group dedicated to the development of effective AAC technology. [More Information on AAC TechConnect]
   
   
2. Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (formerly the Center for Rehabilitation Technology)
   The Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access (CATEA) has two areas of focus: (1) The development, evaluation, and utilization of assistive technology for activities of daily living or work, and (2) the design and development of accessible environments, both private and public. A center within the College of Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology, CATEA was known until July 1, 2001 as the Center for Rehabilitation Technology (CRT). Current projects include two national web sites (assistivetech.net and Barrier Free Education); the Digital Human Modeling Initiative (DHMI); the Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education (GRADE); the Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC); the Wheeled Mobility Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (Mobility RERC); and the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC). [More Information on Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (formerly the Center for Rehabilitation Technology)]
   
   
3. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Technologies for Successful Aging with Disability
   The overarching objective of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) for Technologies for Successful Aging with Disability is to Optimize Participation Through Technology (OPTT). OPTT-RERC will enhance the lives of individuals aging with and into disability through: a) development and delivery of cutting-edge technologies for identification, evaluation, and rehabilitation of motor processes that facilitate or impede functional performance, employment, and community participation for the intended beneficiaries, b) employment of state of the art data management, dissemination, and performance evaluation techniques to ensure that the knowledge and products emergent from the RERC are accessible for all intended beneficiaries, c) assembly of a multidisciplinary team of experts in clinical rehabilitation, engineering, gerontology, along with a select group of technology partners, and disability advocates to ensure that OPTT-RERC's short and long-term outcome goals are successfully implemented and, d) alignment of the clinical and technological strengths of several area programs into an integrated infrastructure to provide training opportunities for future rehabilitation researchers. OPTT-RERC is located at the University of Southern California. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Technologies for Successful Aging with Disability]
   
   
4. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for the Advancement of Cognitive Technologies (RERC-ACT)
   The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for the Advancement of Cognitive Technologies (RERC-ACT) is the nation's first Center to conduct research and development on assistive technologies for people with cognitive disabilities. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for the Advancement of Cognitive Technologies (RERC-ACT)]
   
   
5. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Medical Instrumentation
   RERC-AMI evaluates methods and technologies to increase the usability and accessibility of diagnostic, therapeutic, and procedural healthcare equipment for people with disabilities. It works closely with consumers, healthcare practitioners, hospitals and manufacturers to increase access to and utilization of medical instrumentation and services by individuals with disabilities, including technologies that support employment in the healthcare professions. RERC-AMI is funded by NIDRR. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Medical Instrumentation]
   
   
6. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement
   AAC-RERC "uses innovative communications technologies to benefit researchers, engineers, rehabilitation service providers, developers, and users of alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) technologies." [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement]
   
   
7. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement
   The RERC on Hearing Enhancement addresses accessibility problems of hard-of-hearing individuals by developing and evaluating cost-effective technological aids for the various groups of people with hearing loss according to their needs (e.g. people with moderate hearing losses, people with severe or profound hearing losses, young children, older adults and people with both vision and hearing loss). The RERC is funded by NIDRR. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Hearing Enhancement]
   
   
8. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Mobile Wireless Technologies for Persons with Disabilities
   The Center’s primary aims are to ensure equitable access to mobile wireless products and services by people with disabilities of all ages and abilities and to investigate promising applications of mobile wireless technologies in support of employment, independent living and community integration. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Mobile Wireless Technologies for Persons with Disabilities]
   
   
9. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Prosthetics and Orthotics
   Located at Northwestern University, The Prosthetics Research Laboratory and the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Program are dedicated to the improvement of prostheses and orthoses, to the improved fitting and manufacturing processes for prosthesis/orthosis systems, and to the improved basic understanding of human interactions with these systems. The research, applied and technical in nature, is conducted in a medical environment that fosters direct clinical interactions and applications. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Prosthetics and Orthotics]
   
   
10. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Recreational Technologies and Exercise Physiology Benefiting Persons with Disabilities (RERC RecTech)
    Rectech is dedicated to using technology to promote more healthy, active lifestyles for people with disabilities. Rectech focuses on four areas of research and development that are key to promoting health and function and community participation for people with disabilities: 1) increasing access to the environments, equipment, and programs associated with healthy, active lifestyles; 2) encouraging greater participation in healthful levels of physical activity; 3) promoting adherence to being physically active on a regular basis, ideally every day; and 4) expanding the knowledge base on health and function outcomes of physical activity for people with disabilities. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Recreational Technologies and Exercise Physiology Benefiting Persons with Disabilities (RERC RecTech)]
    
    
11. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Rehabilitation Robotics and Telemanipulation
    Machines Assisting Recovery from Stroke (MARS-RERC) focuses its research and development on restoring function in hemispheric stroke survivors. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Rehabilitation Robotics and Telemanipulation]
    
    
12. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Spinal Cord Injury: Keep Moving
    Led by Los Amigos Research and Education Institute, Inc. (LAREI), this RERC works to enhance the mobility and function of individuals with spinal cord injury. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Spinal Cord Injury: Keep Moving]
    
    
13. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for Children with Orthopedic Disabilities
    Led by the Los Amigos Research and Education Institute, Inc. (LAREI), the RERC develops technology for children with orthopedic disabilities with an emphasis on prosthetics and orthotics. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for Children with Orthopedic Disabilities]
    
    
14. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telecommunication Access
    "Identifies telecommunication access barriers in current and future technologies, work with others in the field to identify solution strategies, test them, implement any necessary standards, and assist industry in transferring the ideas into their commercial products." [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telecommunication Access]
    
    
15. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telerehabilitation
    This RERC "conducts research on various models of delivering rehabilitation services at a distance: telerehabilitation. Its development activities focus on exploiting promising technology to benefit people with disabilities." The program focuses mainly on those affected by stroke, mental disabilities, pain management, among others. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Telerehabilitation]
    
    
16. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design and the Built Environment
    The Center for Universal Design, College of Design at North Carolina State University, was funded by NIDRR as a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design and the Built Environment, for the period 09/01/99 through 08/30/04. The RERC’s purpose was to 1) improve the accessibility and usability of the built environment, and 2) advance the field of universal design. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design and the Built Environment]
    
    
17. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design at Buffalo (RERC-UD)
    The RERC-UD will create housing, public buildings, and communities that are more accessible for people with disabilities and safer, healthier, and socially sustainable for the general public. It will identify and fill research gaps and develop critical tools for advancing the field of universal design and apply those tools to develop widely adopted standards and products. A Knowledge Translation in Action strategy will unify the outreach efforts to increase awareness of the RERC activities and universal design in general as well as improve capacity in research and practice. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design at Buffalo (RERC-UD)]
    
    
18. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Interface and Information Technology Access
    "Improves access by individuals with all types, degrees, and combinations of disabilities to a wide range of technologies, including computers, ATMs, kiosks, point-of-sale devices and smartcards, home and pocket information appliances, Internet technologies (XML, XSL, CSS, SMIL, etc.), intranets, and 3-D and immersive environments." [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Interface and Information Technology Access]
    
    
19. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheelchair Transportation Safety
    The primary goal of this RERC is "to improve the safety of wheelchair users who remain seated in their wheelchair while using public and private motor-vehicle transportation." [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheelchair Transportation Safety]
    
    
20. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheeled Mobility
    The MobilityRERC works to identify the needs of a wide variety of wheelchair users and develop appropriate products to meet their needs. The research and development work at the RERC is not limited to wheelchairs but considers the users and all of their interactions including seating, environmental barriers, and interactive training techniques. [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheeled Mobility]
    
    
21. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Workplace Accommodations
    "The Workplace RERC identifies, designs, and develops devices and systems to help people with disabilities be more productive in the workplace. A primary focus of the Center is the use of universal design concepts -- the design of products and environments to be usable by all workers, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design." [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Workplace Accommodations]
    
    
22. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center: Ergonomic Solutions for Employment
    "This RERC combines ergonomic interventions, work and worksite modifications, assistive technologies, and medical interventions to facilitate placement of workers with disabilities, and helps prevent development of subsequent musculoskeletal illnesses and injuries." [More Information on Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center: Ergonomic Solutions for Employment]
    
    
23. Research Utilization Support and Help
    The RUSH project develops and tests models for increasing the effective use of the results of research funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education. The RUSH Project will assess utilization successes in terms of benefits produced for intended user audiences including: people with disabilities and their families, disability researchers, and disability service providers, among others. The goal is to expand awareness, strategies, and evaluation of knowledge utilization outcomes among NIDRR-supported researchers in order to increase access and use of research results by those who can benefit the most from them. [More Information on Research Utilization Support and Help]
    
    
24. Smith-Kettlewell Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
    This RERC conducts research and development for persons who are blind or affected by a visual impairment. The project explores rehabilitation for young children, mobility solutions for those affected with mobility disabilities as well as sight, independent travel technology, communication devices, and many other important issues concerning the blind and visually impaired. [More Information on Smith-Kettlewell Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center]
    
    

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Conferences                                                         Return to top of page

Past Conferences                                                         Return to top of page

1. NARRTC 2012 Annual Conference
   April 26, 2012 to April 27, 2012 in Alexandria, Virginia, United States
   NARRTC (formerly known as the National Association of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers) seeks improve the quality of life, independence of life choices, and the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families through relevant research, training, technical assistance, knowledge translation, development and demonstration activities. NARRTC members are current projects funded through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The theme of the 2012 conference will be "Advancing and Sustaining Research in Disability and Rehabilitation." [More Information on NARRTC 2012 Annual Conference]
   
   

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1. Emergency Preparedness Survey
   Dec 22, 2010
   The Shepherd Center in Atlanta is conducting research on the use and usability of wireless technology by people with disabilities. They need volunteers to take an online survey before December 31, 2010. The survey is brief and you will be entered in a drawing to win a gift certificate. [More Information on Emergency Preparedness Survey]