Clinical Track

This workshop is suited for nurses, occupational and physical therapists, and nursing home administrators interested in how assistive technology can improve functioning. It will focus on how elderly or disabled individuals can access e-mail and the web, the effects of access to electronic information on social isolation, and how to select appropriate assistive technology.

Clinical Track Schedule

• 8:00–8:30
  • Banks Center
  • Registration  
• 8:30–8:45
  • Banks Center, Kennedy A and B
  • Welcome
  • Michael MacDowell, President, Misericordia University
    Helen Speziale, EdD , RN, Director of ATRI
• 8:45–9:45
  • Banks Center, Kennedy A and B
  • Universal Design—Why Policy Matters
  • Bill Peterson, Director, Homeland Security, Section 508 Program
  • The federal government has passed numerous laws that have focused on everything from civil rights legislation to accessibility mandates. This talk will focus on the cumulative effects that federal legislation - and non-legislative activities - have had on breaking down the wall of inequality for persons with disabilities and promoting the concept of universal design.
  • The Universal Design Slides are now available. These can be opened in PowerPoint, or in the presentation component of OpenOffice.org.
• 9:45–10:00
  • Break
• 10:00–11:15
  • Banks Center, Kennedy A and B
  • Building an Assistive Technology Research Agenda
  • Bill Peterson, Director, Homeland Security, Section 508 Program
  • Many clinicians are prescribing assistive technologies ranging from adapted silverware and button hooks to powered wheelchairs and environmental controls.  However, in justifying such devices, they frequently do not have strong evidence of functional outcome.  The need for sound research for functional outcomes is clear, but how do we get it?  This workshop will describe how therapists in typical settings can collect information independently or in partnership with other clinics to conduct meaningful and important outcomes research in assistive technology, providing needed evidence to support this aspect of practice.
  • The Research Agenda slides are now available. These can be opened in PowerPoint, or in the presentation component of OpenOffice.org.
• 1:15–12:30
  • Lunch
• 12:30–1:45
  • Mercy Hall 230, 232
  • A Comparison of Infrared Head Pointers
    • Amanda Berry, OT; Stacey Hershey, OT;
      Janine Hoffman, OT; Emily Usinowicz, OT

    • This study is examining the relative performance of the three head-pointing assistive technology devices that are currently readily available for use by individuals with disabilities. These devices are the Head Mouse Extreme, for Origin Instruments; Tracker One, from Madentec Limited; and the SmartNav, from Naturalpoint

  • A Comparison of Alternative Keyboard Layouts
    • Jacqueline Doninetz, OT; Christine Hess, OT;
      Tara Kelly, OT; Kimberly Roig, OT; Joseph Cipriani, EdD, OTR/L, Professor

    • This study is part of a series to establish a standard metric for alternative text input systems. Historically, nearly all comparisons of alternative keyboard layouts have indicated that the QWERTY layout, the standard for computer keyboards, is the best, in spite of its known ergonomic deficiencies. This study, combined with past studies comparing the Chubon with QWERTY and Dvorak with QWERTY will form the basis of a demonstration that new technologies can be compared against a standard measure, in order to provide relative utility information, which will be available on the ATRI website.

• 1:45–2:00
  • Break
• 2:00–3:15
  • Banks Center, Kennedy A and B
  • Bridging the Digital Divide: The impact of technology training, internet and email use on levels of cognition, depression and social isolation in institutionalized older adults.
  • Brenda Hage, MSN, CRNP, Assistant Professor

  • The Internet offers the potential for providing enhanced social support and psychological well being. It can be used for increasing communication access, exploration of hobbies and interests; obtaining consumer information, and accessing community resources (White et al., 2002). Too often the elderly are ignored as consumers of technology. Unfortunately, technological advances that society takes for granted are largely unavailable to seniors. "As a means of decreasing social isolation, the Internet (i.e., World Wide Web and e-mail) is a novel vehicle of communication...and may provide a means of overcoming barriers to social interaction for the elderly." (Hutchinson, Eastman, Tirrito, 1997; Kubeck et al., 1997, Post, 1996 as cited in White et al., 2002). This project will assess the effect of computer training and access to the Internet for information and email use on depression, social isolation and cognition in long-term care residents aged 60 and above.

  • The Bridging the Digital Divide slides are now available. These can be opened in PowerPoint, or in the presentation component of OpenOffice.org.
• 3:15–4:00
  • Banks Center, Kennedy A and B
  • Outcomes Assessment: Measuring the success of assistive technology and universal design interventions
  • Roger Smith, PhD , RESNA Fellow
  • There are significant challenges in measuring assistive technology outcomes. Current strategies and projects related to these challenges will be discussed. The presentation will highlight the work at the R2D2 Center (Rehabilitation Research Design & Disability) which aims to provide an interdisciplinary home for basic research, applied research and development, as well as innovative instruction related to technology and disability and the ATOMS Project (Assistive Technology Outcomes Measurement System) related to the measurement of assistive technology universal design outcomes. The ATOMS Project is a five year assistive technology outcomes and impacts project funded in part by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education.

• 4:00–4:15
  • Banks Center, Kennedy A and B
  • Wrap up and evaluation
  • Helen Speziale