RESNA recently became a member of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD), which is a federation of US-based non-governmental organizations, federal agencies, and individuals committed to advocacy and action on behalf of the global disability rights agenda. More 

RESNA participates in public policy activities through memberships, affiliations, and coalitions. Recently, RESNA's Government Affairs Committee (GAC) decided to have RESNA sign on to support three position letters on policies that affect or may affect people with disability, their families, and professionals in the field. Two of the letters comment on what should be allowed or included in the "Essential Health Benefits" package as required by the U.S. Affordable Care Act (health care reform). The third letter supports the U.S. Department of Labor's regulation changes which would improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities. More 

RESNA staff member Paul Galonsky is now the dedicated staff liaison to the Government Affairs Committee, providing up to four hours a week in support of the committee's activities. Paul is the Project Associate for the RESNA Catalyst Project, where he coordinates technical assistance for the 56 statewide Assistive Technology (AT ACT) programs. He holds a masters' degree in public administration from the University of Delaware. Prior to RESNA, Paul was the 2010 Disability Policy Leadership Fellow of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, and he spent nine years at the Mental Health Association in Delaware.

Mark your calendar for this year's RESNA 2012 Conference, June 28-July 3, in beautiful Baltimore, MD. Registration is now open for all pre-conference, general conference, and post-conference courses and workshops. This is a great opportunity to meet fellow SIG and PSG members, find out about the latest research and developments in assistive technology, and soak up that multi-disciplinary, cross-functional, "let's do it because it's the right thing to do" RESNA vibe. Highlights include:

• Fundamentals in Assistive Technology 2-day course, offered as a pre-conference session June 28 and June 29;
• SIG and PSG open house event on June 29;
• First-timers reception on June 29;
• Developer's Forum on July 1 - "speed dating" for developers to get input on their ideas;
• Field trip to the Kennedy Krieger Institute, internationally recognized for improving the lives of children with disorders and injury of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system;
• Student Design Competition and the Student Scientific Paper Competition;
• Exhibitor's Hall with product demonstrations;
• General Conference - over 36 workshops to choose from, plus platform sessions and plenaries;
• Post-Conference Instructional Courses on July 3 - choose from full-day and half-day courses in power wheelchair assessment, computer access, speech recognition, and more. Plus Dr. Willkomm's popular "AT in Minutes" workshop is back - become an AT MacGyver!

Members enjoy substantial discounts on registration fees. Make your hotel reservation soon to get the conference discount. More

RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. Find out more at www.resna.org.