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| | Ray Grott |
My Personal Conference FAQ
It's getting warmer and spring is in the air...which means it's time to register for RESNA's annual conference. In this issue of Member News, I am offering you my personal top FAQs about this event.
In this era of electronic connections, quickie emails, texts and tweets, the in-person offerings of a conference cannot be beat for experiencing community, stimulating the brain, and recharging the batteries.
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Conference Early Bird Rate Ends May 25
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| Make the most of your conference experience with this first-ever collaboration between RESNA, NCART (National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology) and NRRTS (National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers). Promoting Access to Assistive Technology is July 10-14 in Arlington, VA. Get ready for:
Hotel Information
The conference hotel is the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, conveniently located 5 minutes from Reagan National Airport. The hotel has a complimentary airport shuttle and a shuttle to the nearest Metro stop. Book your room now.
Pre-Conference Sessions
Looking to add a skill to your toolbox, or deepen your knowledge on a particular topic? Three full-day courses and one half-day course are being offered on Monday, July 11. RESNA's Fundamentals course will be offered July 10 and July 11. Find out about this year's courses.
Link to Program Announcement
Link to Conference Schedule
Link to Registration
Link to CEU information
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SIG/PSG Confererence Sessions
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Connect with your colleagues
Several conference sessions have been organized by member Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Professional Specialty Groups (PSGs). These sessions are:
- Accommodations Show & Tell: Members will share worksite accommodations or home modifications that they have fabricated, modified, or obtained.
- Communication Technology and Computer Access: Sharing Solutions, Igniting Ideas: Share your experience and knowledge with your peers! Bring your laptops, tablets or phones to show apps, videos, websites, research, articles or gadgets. The goal is to inspire and ignite innovation that can be put into daily practice.
- Emerging and Innovative Technologies Show and Tell: The new Emerging Technologies SIG is co-hosting this workshop with the RERC on Information and Communication Enhancement. Attendees will have the opportunity for hands-on demonstrations of recent emerging and innovative technologies.
- Accommodations - Works in Progress: This workshop provides a unique brainstorming opportunity for AT practitioners with challenging cases to solve, by tapping into the talent and experience of RESNA members.
- Developers Forum: Hosted by the Communication Technologies and Computer Access SIG, this event allows product developers, researchers and manufacturers to get feedback from conference attendees on new products or enhancements to existing products.
- SIG Group Meetings - All SIGs will meet in-person at the Annual Conference on July 12 at 7:45am. See list of SIGS.
- PSG Group Meetings - All PSGs will meet in-person at the Annual Conference on July 13 at 7:45am. See list of PSGs.
To participate in any of these sessions, please follow the links to the relevant webpages and information. Interested in joining a SIG or a PSG? Members can join any group they wish. Login to the RESNA website and click on "Browse Committees" under the "My Committees" section, or e-mail membership@resna.org. |
Voting continues until June 17
All eligible members were sent an e-mail on May 19 with voting instructions and personalized login credentials for the voting site. Members will vote for the President-Elect, Secretary, and three Board of Directors positions. Please remember to vote!
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 Stefan Carmien, PhD, a RESNA member since 2003, has published a new book, "Assistive Technology Design for Intelligence Augmentation." Dr. Carmien is Secretary of the RESNA Standards Committee on Cognitive Accessibility. Link to book information
Elizabeth (Liz) Cole, MSPT, ATP, a RESNA member since 1997, was recently named Director of Clinical Applications for the ROHO Institute for Education. Liz currently serves on RESNA's Professional Standards Board, which has oversight of the certification programs. Link to Mobility Management announcement
Mary Goldberg, PhD, a RESNA member since 2013, has been named a 2016 Tech Innovator by the Chronicle of Higher Education for her work with veterans with disabilities through the ELeVATE program at the University of Pittsburgh's Human Engineering Research Laboratories.
Dianne Goodwin, ME, BME, a RESNA member since 1990 and Founder of BlueSky Designs in Minneapolis, was named a First Phase winner of the ALS Assistive Technology Challenge by the ALS Association in partnership with Prize4Life. Her project received a $50,000 grant and the opportunity to compete for the $400,000 prize. Link to ALS Association press release
Roger O. Smith, PhD, OT, FAOTA, a RESNA member since 1985, will give the Ellen Clarke Slagle lecture at the AOTA Centennial Conference in March 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. He will speak on the topic of the last 100 years and next 100 years of occupational therapy and technology. Roger is President-Elect of the RESNA Board of Directors.
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Government Relations Update
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RESNA Policy Position Statement, AT Act Funding, Federal Disability Research
RESNA Policy Position Statement - The Board of Directors has approved the organization's policy position statement, which highlights the organization's priorities and guiding principles. Link to statement
Consortium seeks full support of AT Act funding for FY 2017 - RESNA, as a member of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, is advocating for $38 million in funding for the Assistive Technology (AT) Act programs for FY 2017. While the AT Act programs did receive a modest increase for FY 2016, they are still underfunded, making it difficult for the programs to fulfill legislative mandates. See full update
ICDR continues work on strategic plan for federal disability resarch - On April 14, over 30 researchers and advocates participated in a robust conference call conversation on disability and federal-funded rehabilitation research priorities, organized by the Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR). The ICDR has been working since last year on a new comprehensive strategic plan for federally-funded disability research. See full update
RESNA members will visit the Hill at annual conference - this year, due to the conference location, RESNA members will have the opportunity to "visit the Hill" and meet with their elected representatives on Thursday, July 14. In order to participate, members must sign up in advance. See information on website
The Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Nathan Moon, develops and coordinates RESNA's public policy and related activities. More information |
SIG group and AT Standards Committee join forces for National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel participation
 RESNA's Wheeled Mobility SIG and the WRS AT Standards Committee received funding this year from the Board of Directors to support a representative for the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. RESNA member Valerie Felicetti, MPT, ATP, a RESNA member since 2008, was chosen after a SIG-wide application process. A group of SIG members are meeting regularly to provide input to Valerie on NPUAP issues. Valerie attended the April meeting, at which NPUAP announced a change in terminology, replacing "pressure ulcer" with "pressure injury." (Link to the press release). Members who are interested in getting involved can e-mail Valerie directly at ptval2003@gmail.com.
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Member Benefits Spotlight
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| AT Journal Spring Issue & Member Access |
The spring issue of Assistive Technology Journal is now available. Members have free, unlimited, on-line access to the Journal as a member benefit.
Articles are posted to the Taylor & Francis website as soon as they are approved, which can be several months before they appear in the Journal. In addition, members have free access to the archives.
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Show your pride with the member logo |
RESNA has a special logo just for member use. Members can use it as part of their e-mail signature or with their professional bio. Use of the member logo comes with guidelines and do's and dont's.
If you feel someone is using the member logo in a misleading or incorrect way, please contact the RESNA office.
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