News and Notes 471 July 21

birgitta.chaiken - Wed, 07/21/2021 - 12:57

As things are beginning to open in the US following the COVID-19 quarantine, NARIC has gathered resources from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere on accessible travel in its Spotlight blog; NIDILRR hosts webinar, Never Being Sought After by Anyone or Anything: Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses; This Just In... features the design of a hybrid, 3D printed assistive hand exoskeleton intended to actuate the fingers of stroke survivors; Research in Focus looks at a web-based program to teach safe and efficient transfer techniques to full-time wheelchair users; the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) posts video, InsightOut, on advances and challenges in accessible and assistive wireless technologies; researchers from the project Assessment and Investigation of New Coverage Policies for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Within a Contemporary Accountable Care Environment receive the Sam McFarland Mentor Award at the 2021 RESNA Virtual Conference; the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) in collaboration with the North Texas Burn Rehabilitation Model System Center receives Silver Digital Health Award from the Health Information Resource Center; Effects of Customized Employment on the Employment Outcomes of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities: A Randomized Clinical Trial hosts webinar, Building Work-Based Learning Opportunities in the Home, School, and Community; the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities hosts webinar, Long-Term Unemployment: A Social Determinant Underaddressed Within Community Behavioral Health Programs; the App Factory to Support Health and Function of People with Disabilities opens its 2021-2022 annual App Factory grant competition; the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor (DOL) publishes article in the DOL blog, ODEP at 20: Driving Change Through Customized Employment.

Date sent: 
2021-07-21
NARIC news: 

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic early last year, many of us have been staying home. Now that things are beginning to open in the US, many people are itching to return to “normal”, including being able to travel. Thanks to accessible travel, members of the NARIC team are beginning to travel for vacation, to celebrate anniversaries, and to witness friends getting married in places like Ocean City, MD; New Orleans; and the Poconos, all while being mindful of COVID precautions. Accessible travel and tourism enable people with and without disabilities to participate in and enjoy travel experiences, whether one is traveling for business or pleasure. Accessible travel is an ongoing endeavor to ensure that destinations, products, and services are accessible to all, regardless of temporary limitations, disabilities, or age. We gathered a few resources from the NIDILRR community and elsewhere to help you learn about accessible travel in our Spotlight blog.

This Just In: 
Design of a 3D printed hybrid mechanical structure for a hand exoskeleton. Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering, Volume 6(2). NARIC Accession Number: J86004.
New to the NARIC collection, this NIDILRR-funded study presents the design of a hybrid, three-dimensional (3D) printed mechanical structure of an assistive hand exoskeleton intended to actuate the fingers of stroke survivors. The design facilitates donning and doffing of the assistive exoskeleton by enabling an approach entirely from the dorsal (back) side of the hand, thereby allowing the fingers to stay flexed. The design criteria, resulting design, and the prototype development are described. The initial prototype of the structure, using a hybrid combination of rigid and flexible materials, was lightweight (only 185 grams), while maintaining a high range of motion. Future directions for further improvements and user studies are discussed. Access the full abstract and ordering information in REHABDATA.
 
Research in Focus: 
Self-Paced Web-Based Transfer Training Shows Promise to Help Wheelchair Users Improve Transfer Techniques
This week's Research In Focus looks at a web-based program to teach safe and efficient transfer techniques to full-time wheelchair users, helping them maintain long-term independence.
 
Resource Highlight: 
Wireless Inclusive RERC Posts InsightOut Video
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) (90RE5025) has posted a video, InsightOut. The video features Wireless RERC researchers sharing their observations and perspectives on advances in accessible and assistive wireless technologies, as well as challenges that remain in achieving the goals of inclusion and innovation.
 
NIDILRR News and Events: 
Webinar: Never Being Sought After by Anyone for Anything - Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses
NIDILRR will host a webinar, Never Being Sought After by Anyone for Anything: Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses, August 5th, 2-3 pm ET. NIDILRR-funded researchers Bryan McCormick, PhD, and Mark Salzer, PhD, will discuss recent research on social isolation and loneliness among people with serious mental illnesses, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our beliefs about who is socially isolated and lonely. This is the second in a four-part national webinar series on research related to social isolation and loneliness for people with disabilities hosted by NIDILRR. Registration is free and required by July 30th, and space is limited.
 
News items: 
NIDILRR Researchers Receive Awards at 2021 RESNA Virtual Conference
Researchers from the NIDILRR-funded project Assessment and Investigation of New Coverage Policies for Complex Rehabilitation Technology (CRT) Within a Contemporary Accountable Care Environment (90DPGE0014) were recognized by the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) at the 2021 RESNA Virtual Conference. Mark R. Schmeler, PhD, principal investigator, received the 2021 Sam McFarland Mentor Award in recognition of those who have influenced, counseled, and nurtured others in the field of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. Eleni Halkiotis, project team member, received the Emerging Leader Award, recognizing new members who have made significant contributions, provided leadership, and made an impact at RESNA during their first several years of participation. In addition, Madelyn Betz, research assistant, was a finalist in the Student Scientific Paper competition for her paper, Complex Rehabilitation Technology Service Delivery: Scoping Review Process & Methodology.
 
Burn Injury Educational Video Wins Silver Digital Health Award
Sexuality and Intimacy After Burn Injury, a video produced by the NIDILRR-funded Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) (90DP0082) in collaboration with the North Texas Burn Rehabilitation Model System Center (90DPBU0002), was awarded a Silver Digital Health Award from the Health Information Resource Center. The 18-minute video highlights burn survivors and their partners who share their experience navigating sexuality and intimacy after burn injury. It also includes the perspectives of healthcare professionals who explain the importance of openly discussing physical and emotional components related to sexuality and intimacy after burn injury.
 
Grantee event: 
Webinar: Building Work-Based Learning Opportunities in the Home, School, and Community
The NIDILRR-funded project Effects of Customized Employment on the Employment Outcomes of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities: A Randomized Clinical Trial (90DP0085) will host a webinar, Building Work-Based Learning Opportunities in the Home, School, and Community, July 28th, 2-2:45 pm ET. Presenters will introduce the concept of work-based learning and its benefits as they apply to students with disabilities, with a special focus on opportunities to build independence and employment skills across environments. Presenters will provide tools and ideas for building opportunities in the home, school, and community, including techniques and strategies for approaching and collaborating with partners. Registration is free and required. Continuing education recognition is available.
 
Webinar: Long-Term Unemployment - A Social Determinant Underaddressed Within Community Behavioral Health Programs
The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities (90RT5029) will host a webinar, Long-Term Unemployment: A Social Determinant Underaddressed Within Community Behavioral Health Programs, August 9th, 12-1 pm ET, part of the Making Sense of Employment Research series. Presenters will discuss their recently-published research examining the detrimental effect of unemployment to overall wellness of people with psychiatric disabilities. Registration is free and required.
 
Participate: 
LiveWell App Factory Call for Proposals
The NIDILRR-funded App Factory to Support Health and Function of People with Disabilities (90DPHF0004) has opened its 2021-2022 annual App Factory grant competition to fund development of mobile information and communication technology applications to improve health and function of people with disabilities. The App Factory expects to fund at least three qualified software or hardware developers, with budgets between $10,000 and $80,000, to develop and release their assistive and accessibility apps for health and function. The submission deadline is August 15th. Proposal guidelines are available from the competition website. For more information, contact App Factory Project Manager Raeda Anderson, PhD, at appfactory@shepherd.org.
 
Elsewhere in the Community: 
Driving Change Through Customized Employment
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor (DOL) published an article in the DOL blog, ODEP at 20: Driving Change Through Customized Employment, part of its 20th anniversary series. The article spotlights ODEP's work to promote customized employment for job seekers with disabilities, building capacity within agencies, organizations, and employers and leading to fulfilling employment for people with disabilities in the community. The article and accompanying video follow one person's path through the discovery process, central to the customized employment strategy, to match his skills, interests, and talents to employment that is customized for both the job seeker and the employer.
 
Archive link: 
http://www.icontact-archive.com/archive?c=654309&f=1190&s=26993&m=923982&t=635cba0a9267f719dd304fcd1ae764b160681b0bc4432192fe4b80b0dffecb7c