This proposal builds on an established relationship between Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and two facilities providing care, employment and/or educational opportunities for people with disabilities. At least 10 undergraduate senior design teams will be formed annually in Biomedical Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering to design, build, test, and deliver assistive technology to persons at the Knox County Association for Retarded Citizens (KCARC) and the Indiana School for the Blind (ISB). Previous senior design project experiences with these facilities and their clients have allowed our students to address the needs of clients with physical disabilities. The efforts of the design teams provided individuals at these facilities with the resources necessary for them to engage in workforce and educational opportunities. Moreover, these design experiences and client interactions engendered a sense of purpose and pride in our students, helped the school serve the surrounding community, and attracted new students into science and engineering disciplines. The engineering design instructors will identify projects for clients with unique and significant challenges. The design solutions developed by each design team will provide detailed design and construction information that will be made readily available to other individuals with similar needs. Students will learn to apply their engineering talents and learn new skills in solving these design challenges, which in turn will produce engineers qualified to solve a wide variety of problems facing industry and society. The students will also have the opportunity to present and publish their findings at regional and national workshops and conferences. The proposal incorporates an assessment plan that will qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the impact of the projects on the students? development as professionals and as members of the community. The impact of the proposed project on the KCARC and the ISB, as well as the individual clients that receive assistance, will be evaluated.
