This is funding to support the Student Design Competition (SDC), which will be part of the 2009 annual RESNA conference to be held June 23-27 in New Orleans. Today, between 40 million and 56 million people in the United States report some type of disability, and this number will likely grow in the coming years as the baby boom generation enters late life. RESNA is the one organization with an international focus that is devoted solely to technology for individuals with disabilities. Comprised of over 1,000 individual and institutional members (researchers, clinicians, manufacturers, suppliers, professionals and end-users of technology devices and equipment), the organization has as its purpose to improve the health and participation of people with disabilities in mainstream society. To this end, RESNA supports individuals engaged in research, development, education, advocacy and the provision of technology through a number of programs and activities, which in addition to the annual conference include a credentialing program for assistive technology practitioners, suppliers and rehabilitation engineering technologists, as well as sponsored projects. RESNA's Technical Standards Board is the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ANSI, the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), for the development of ISO standards pertaining to assistive technology and other products for persons with disabilities.
The RESNA Student Design Competition fosters innovation and creativity with the ultimate goal of producing technology that can contribute to the independence of individuals with disabilities. The first SDC was held in 1980 as part of the inaugural RESNA conference. Since then, over 200 designs have been identified as winning entries, chosen from more than 600 submissions by students from over 115 different universities. SDC entries are required to represent the work of students ONLY, including the design documentation; both undergraduates and graduates are eligible to take part. Many past participants in the event are now leaders in service, research, and educational areas related to technology for people with disabilities. Some past student designs have been patented and are now available commercially. NSF has been a supporter since 2005. This year's funding will enable the SDC to be further expanded and enhanced, so as to include more entries and support for more design teams, especially from minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities. A call for participation has been posted on the conference website, and also distributed electronically to a large number of colleges and universities with engineering and design schools. A team of 5 judges will pre-select entries from up to 10 teams, from which two members each will be invited to attend the conference supported with travel and hotel funds as well as complimentary registration. During a half-day session in which the teams will make presentations before the judges and public audience at the conference, 5 teams will ultimately be selected as the final winners. Judges will have an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions and recommendations to the design teams. A platform session will be held this year for the second time as part of the SDC, in which the 5 finalists will make presentations to the general conference attendees. All SDC teams invited to the conference will have an opportunity to present their projects in a poster session during the general conference time. More information is available online at www.resna.org/conference/index.php.
Broader Impacts: The annual RESNA Conference and the Student Design Competition combine to create a forum for interaction between working and experienced rehabilitation engineers and students who are about to enter the field. Unique in its primary focus on undergraduates, the event will provide participants with experience and skills that assist them to be successful in their engineering and design careers, and will further encourage, support and mentor students in various disciplines to become involved in the assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering fields. In an effort to help communicate and disseminate information about this important opportunity to impact the lives of individuals with disabilities, and to increase participant diversity even further both with respect to individuals and universities, NSF funding will be used in part this year for the second time to provide video and audio streaming of the SDC activities that can then be made into podcasts or videos for the RESNA website.
