News
Home as a Healthcare Hub | FDA Listening Session
On April 23, 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new initiative, Home as a Health Care Hub aimed to help reimagine the home environment as an integral part of the health care system with the goal of advancing health equity for all people in the U.S. As part of…
Celebrating Success! Professor Dan Ding
We are delighted to share that Dr. Dan Ding, the Director of the Wireless Tech Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center and Smart Tech Hub for Paralysis Care Programs has been promoted to full Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology at the University of Pittsburgh…
The Best Smart Assistive Devices for People with Disabilities
Suria Nordin in her home office, using a variety of assistive technology and smart-home technology. (Note: Suria is also a member of our RERC Consumer Advisory Board!!) Photo: Pennsylvania Assistive Technology FoundationSmart-home technology excels at helping all people live a more…
Student Spotlight | Kacey Roehrich
Kacey Roehrich graduated this spring with her master’s in rehabilitation technology from the University of Pittsburgh. She had previously earned her bachelor’s in biomedical engineering and a minor in interdisciplinary disabilities studies from the University of Maine.
During her…
Coursera Short Course Now Live!
The goal of our Short Course Development Project is to help students and professionals gain knowledge on challenges people with varying disabilities face with accessing and using mainstream wireless technologies and develop…
Student Spotlight | Paola Esquivel
Paola Esquivel is pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and is a Fulbright Scholar. She graduated as an occupational therapist from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and completed a master's degree in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Alberta in…
ST4P Assemble!
The ST4P Hub, recently established thanks to an anonymous grant, serves as a national resource center dedicated to supporting research, training, policy, advocacy, and knowledge translation in the field of smart technology implementation for paralysis care. Work is already underway on…
20th Annual Rehabilitation Institute Research Day
On May 22nd, this annual event co-sponsored by the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, brought experts from around the world to the University of Pittsburgh to share research and honor some outstanding work that has been done…
Assist+ Opening and the Adaptive Golf Tournament
On May 21st, ST4P team member Mitch Bell opened the Assist+ assistive technology center at the UPMC Mercy Pavillion which specializes in technology that empowers people of different abilities including adaptive gaming! Earlier this month, Mitch also put together the first ever adaptive gaming…
9th Annual Current Concepts in SCI Rehabilitation Conference
Nearly 18,000 individuals in the U.S. sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) each year. Additionally, while non-traumatic SCI can be difficult to track, it is estimated to be roughly the same amount as traumatic injuries per year. The care of persons with SCI requires an interdisciplinary…
New Accessibility Features for Apple
For Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple announces new accessibility features, including Eye Tracking, Music Haptics, and Vocal Shortcuts. These features are crucial to our work on Smart Tech for Paralysis Care and for ALL…
HHS and DOJ Update Accessibility Rules
Today many essential services are delivered primarily or exclusively online however if accessibility of those services is not maintained when it's becomes digital then it really does become a barrier instead of an opportunity. Two rules that advanced digital accessibility and inclusion across…
Innovations in Adaptive Gaming
On May 15th, Drew Redepenning (Biomedical Engineer, Assistive Technology and Gaming Practitioner, ST4P team member, and Resident Physician at UPMC) presented a fantastic webinar entitled “Current Trends and Innovations in Adaptive Gaming” for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive…
Why Matter matters
The new Matter 1.3 Specification enables energy reporting for Matter devices, and support for water and energy management, electric vehicle chargers, and new major appliances including support for microwaves, oven ranges, cooktops, extractor hoods/fans, and laundry dryers (the standard already…
This new hub will leverage smart technology to improve independence for people with paralysis
As care for individuals with paralysis moves increasingly toward home- and community-based delivery models, the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) and School of Medicine continue to lead research innovation with the establishment of the SmartTech…