For more than 20 years, the state of Pennsylvania has recognized November as Assistive Technology Awareness Month, and communities across the US have also adopted this celebration. Assistive technology, or AT, is any technology that a person with a disability uses to maintain their independence at home, at school or work, or in the community. AT can be high tech, like a computer that responds to the user’s eye gaze and blinking to type words or commands on the screen. It can also be low tech, like a foam handle added to a spoon to make it easier to eat. For many people with disabilities, AT is essential for independence and equitable access to education, employment, and participation in the community. When a person cannot access essential devices because of cost or when devices are damaged or lost, they may not be able to travel outside of the home, do their jobs, or even take care of everyday tasks.

Research and development in AT ranges from projects building and testing new devices to researchers working to ensure equal access to existing and emerging technologies. Here are a few of the NIDILRR-funded projects working in this space:

• Biomechanical Benefits of Lightweight Wearable Robots for Community-Based Mobility Assistance of Children with Crouch Gait from Cerebral Palsy focuses on early intervention with sensor-driven and lightweight exoskeletons to counter the declining trajectories of motor development through improved mobility and reduced musculoskeletal pathology by ambulation assistance of children with cerebral palsy.
• Increasing Adaptive Babycare Resources and Intervention Supports with Parents and Caregivers with Physical or Vision Disabilities increases support for parents and caregivers with physical and vision disabilities to complete child caregiving tasks and routines with the support of assistive technology. This project is currently surveying parents and clinicians on adaptive routines and technology.
• The Mouth Mouse: An Intuitive Tongue Controller of Electronic Systems Designed Specifically for Individuals with Severe Upper-Limb Impairment is developing and testing a Bluetooth-compliant tongue-based electronic controller designed to give people with upper limb paralysis control of peripheral devices including computers and communication systems, home automation, and powered wheelchairs, as well as many other Bluetooth-compliant devices and emerging new technologies.
• The Next-Generation Public Charging Infrastructure and Cyber-Information Network for Enhanced Inclusion and Independent Living of Power Mobility Device Users pilots a public charging infrastructure and cyber-information system to support the outdoor use of power mobility devices (PMDs), to improve the mobility and inclusion of their owners. 

You can explore more current and completed NIDILRR-funded projects focusing on AT and much more in the NIDILRR Program Database.

Our Research In Focus Series highlights new and interesting findings from NIDILRR-funded studies, including these recent summaries of grantee research on AT:

• Wheelchair and Complex Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers Share Opinions on the Efficiency of Wheelchair Repair Services
• Caster Failures Could Lead to Frequent Wheelchair Breakdowns, but Preventative Maintenance May Help
• Self-Paced Web-Based Transfer Training Shows Promise to Help Wheelchair Users Improve Transfer Techniques
• A Novel Technology-Based Intervention May Reduce the Language-Learning Gap for Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• People Who are Legally Blind Share Their Preferences for Indoor Wayfinding Systems
• A New Tablet-Based System Shows Promise in Helping Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder Stay on Task at School

If you interested in learning more about AT and how it can support your independence in the community, visit the AT3 Center to find the federally-funded AT project serving your state or territory. Our Information Specialists can also help you find AT resources in your community.