Member News
February, 2013- Vol 2, Issue 1 |
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Curious about RESNA's board and committee structure? |
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Greetings! |
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Alex Mihailidis,
President |
Welcome to the new and improved RESNA Member News!
We've combined the quarterly SIG Newsletter and Member News into one publication. Highlights include:
- New column called "Congrats & Kudos" featuring member accomplishments;
- Client/member feature story in every issue to inspire and share tips and stories. This month, we're highlighting David Anderson, an ALS patient who is also a DJ;
- SIG and PSG updates - stay in touch with your colleagues through RESNA's smaller special interest and professional specialty networking groups.
Have ideas for the next issue, or want to share your own news? Contact Andrea in the RESNA office at avanhook@resna.org.
Sincerely,
Alex Mihailidis, PhD, P.Eng
President, RESNA
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Upcoming RESNA Events | |
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1 Blink Equals Dance: A Music Man Achieves His New Year's Dream |
 | | Showing the dual monitor set-up |
Walking by the Old Arizona in Minneapolis on New Year's Eve, you would have been forgiven if you thought it was simply another night club with pulse pounding music and people dancing away, having a good time. But inside, everyone knew it was no ordinary night. The DJ, David Anderson, was controlling the musical experience with just his eyes.
Diagnosed with ALS in 2010, David now uses an eye-gaze system from Tobii in order to communicate and needs a wheelchair for mobility. As a lifelong music lover, a major hobby of David's has always been DJ'ing. He decided that this New Year's Eve, he would once again DJ for his friends and family. To accomplish his goal, he enlisted a cadre of friends and technology experts in computers, software, communications, and mobility, including RESNA member and rehabilitation engineer Dianne Goodwin, founder of BlueSky Designs. More
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RESNA 2013 Conference Update |
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Graham Pullin, RESNA 2013
Plenary Speaker |
Hyatt Regency Bellevue, Bellevue, WA - June 20-24
International design expert to speak at plenary
Graham Pullin, designer and author of Design Meets Disability, is the opening plenary speaker for RESNA 2013. Pullin's design projects combine interaction design, augmentative and alternative communication, phonetics and critical design. More
Fundamentals course offered as pre-conference session
RESNA's popular "Fundamentals in Assisitive Technology" course will be offered as a pre-conference session, June 20- 22. More
Instructional courses cover wide range of AT areas
A hands-on fabrication workshop, seating measurement, pressure mapping, policy & funding, and using NaturallySpeaking are just a few of this year's instructional course offerings at the conference. More
On-line registration now available for RESNA and ICORR
On-line registration is now available for RESNA 2013, which will overlap one day (Monday, June 24) with ICORR 2013, the International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics. If you would like to attend both conferences in full, RESNA members can save 30% on joint registration. More
TREAT sponsors Student Design Competition for second year
The Center for the Translation of Rehabilitation Engineering Advances and Technology (TREAT) is partnering with RESNA for the second annual "Technology Most Likely to Become Commercially Available" award, which will be presented to one of five finalists in the annual RESNA Student Design Competition. More
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SIG News |
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Alan Cantor, SIG Chair |
For many RESNA members, the Annual Conference is the highlight of the year. However, RESNA members are active year round to plan events, reach out to members, and develop new materials and programs.
One way this happens is through the SIG (Special Interest Group) Committee. The Committee consists of at least one representative from each of the seven SIGs, a staff liaison, and a Chair. We currently have fifteen members, and meet monthly for a teleconference.
SIG Updates - Click on the group name for more
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PSG News |
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Mary Ellen Buning,
PSG Chair |
There are two important ways to find your niche in RESNA. One is to look for others who share your interest in a particular area of AT such as treatment outcomes or alternative and augmentative communication with a Special Interest Group (SIG). The other is to link up with others who share your professional background or role/function within a Professional Specialty Groups (PSG). The PSGs are a great way to find a home within RESNA since you share a professional background AND interest in AT. More from Mary Ellen
PSG Updates - Click on the group name for more
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Government Affairs Update |
 | | Nathan Moon, GAC Chair |
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)RESNA submitted a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to proposed rules on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). More HR 4378: Complex Rehab Benefit Now that Congress is back in session, the Complex Rehab Coalition is back at work gathering co-sponsors for HR 4378, which would create a separate benefit category within Medicare for complex rehab technology. The category would include products such as complex rehab power wheelchairs, highly configurable manual wheelchairs, adaptive seating and positioning systems, as well as other products. Read the update and find out how you can help. Musical Chairs Every four years in Washington, DC, the players change. Here's an update of recent personnel changes affecting the Obama Administration and Congress. More RESNA's Government Affairs Committee This all-volunteer committee develops and coordinates RESNA's positions on public policies and related activities. RESNA participates in public policy activities through memberships, affiliations and coalitions. Find out more. |
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Member Benefit Spotlight | |
 RESNA members who offer services to employers for job accommodations are invited to list their services in this new "AT for Business/Employers" web portal, developed by the RESNA Catalyst Project. The web portal will provide assistive technology resources and referrals to help employers hire people with disabilities. Only RESNA members are eligible for this free referral service. To be listed, provide your information and professional details through this on-line tool:
http://resnaprojects.org/resnamemberdirectory/inputform.html.
The website address is: www.atconnects.com/employers |
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Congrats & Kudos! |
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Carmen DiGiovine,
PSB Chair |
RESNA member interviewed for radio show
AT Radio interviewed RESNA member and Professional Standards Board chair Carmen DiGiovine about the ATP certification program in February. A podcast is available for download. More
Assistive technology blog launched
A. Lynne Deese, MA, ATP of the North Carolina Assisted Technology Program, has launched a new blog called "Assistive
 | | Lynne Deese |
RESNA member publishes article
RESNA board member Ed Steinfeld, D. Arch, AIA, discusses the need to practice "community design for the aging" in this new lead article on the Architectural Foundation website. More
 | | Ed Steinfeld |
RESNA member helps surgeon get back to work
The work of Luke Moore, SMS/ATP, CRTS and his team was
highlighted in a recent St. Louis Dispatch news story about a paralyzed surgeon using a stand-up wheelchair for surgery. Luke is with Provider Plus, Inc. in St. Louis. More
Have member news to submit for the next issue?
Send your items, along with a photo, to Andrea in the RESNA office at avanhook@resna.org. We're interested in new jobs, promotions, accomplishments, awards, publications, and more. If you want to tell your colleagues about it, we want to hear it! |
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Coming soon | |
SMS Certification discount for a limited time
From March 5 - April 15, RESNA is offering $50 off the $250 fee on Seating & Mobility Specialist (SMS) certification applications. This is a limited offer timed to coincide with the first day of the International Seating Symposium in Nashville, TN. More
Member Satisfaction Survey
Please keep an eye out for the RESNA member satisfaction survey, which will be sent to you via e-mail in late February/early March. This is your opportunity to tell us how we're doing. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. |
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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. |
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