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For information on the new RERC on AAC, funded by NIDILRR from 2014-2019, please visit rerc-aac.psu.edu.
Student Design Project
Tom Jakobs (Invotek, Inc.)
Kevin Caves (Duke University)
Challenge:
Designing devices accessible to people with disabilities requires that engineers have an awareness not taught in typical engineering classes. This project offers engineering students an opportunity to apply their skills to real-world challenges for people with disabilities, with a focus on communication needs.
Goals:
• Build disability awareness within the engineering community
• Encourage engineering students to address the needs of people with disabilities
• Measure impact
Activities:
• Provide examples of engineering projects that met the needs of a person with disabilities
• Offer new project ideas
• Develop class support materials for students and professors
• Offer email engineering support to students undertaking projects
• Monitor website activity and develop surveys to assist in measuring impact
Knowledge Transfer
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Adding Projects for People with Disabilities to Engineering Design Classes In this free webcast, Kevin Caves describes strategies he has used for adding projects for people with disabilities to engineering design classes. |
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Confessions of an Engineer - Insights into Long Distance Assistive Technology Design Tom Jakobs (an engineer at InvoTek Inc.) and Ben Chater (who recently graduated from law school) worked together to develop a way for Ben to access the iPhone. This paper describes their approach to collaborative assistive technology design and development. |
Sample Projects
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Invotek and University of Arkansas Computer Science students developed a new keyboard for people who cannot use their hands to type on standard keyboards.
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This project developed a special tip for a head pointer so that the client could access an iPhone reliably. |
RESNA Student Design Competition
