Technologies to Support Aging with Disability
Technologies to Support Aging with Disability
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support Aging among People with Long-Term Disabilities (RERC TechSAge) is a collaborative grant center based at Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Georgia State University. Founded in 2013, TechSAge features multidisciplinary research, development, and training projects that are dedicated to understanding the needs of, and developing supportive technologies for, people aging with long-term vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities.
TechSAge Talks: Developing a Wayfinding Support Robot
Meet Katie Driggs-Campbell—Her research in robotics and human-centric design converge in the Wayfinding Support Robot Project. Discover how her innovative approach aims to assist individuals with visual impairments, creating new pathways for inclusive navigation.
Featured Article
Everyday Challenges for Individuals Aging with Vision Impairment
A new TechSAge article in The Gerontologist explores the challenges older adults with long-term vision impairment experience performing a wide variety of instrumental activities of daily living, from shopping to managing health. Interview data from the Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study revealed detailed insights about participants’ most difficult activities and the nature of the challenges they experience. Researchers identify challenge themes (i.e., vision limitations, need for assistance from others, technology issues, lack of accessibility, transportation barriers) and discuss how un-met support needs present opportunities for technology design and innovation.
Staff Spotlight: Jelovy Djaja
Jelovy is a sophomore Computer Science student at Georgia Tech. She works as research assistant on the TechSAge Telewellness Technologies project. In addition to analyzing data from the Tele Tai Chi study, Jelovy is designing series of graphics to illustrate different models of delivering wellness classes via videoconferencing. Her career goal is to design creative software that can assist individuals with disabilities in overcoming challenges. She is actively participating in the Robotic Human Augmentation project, a VIP program at Georgia Tech, that focuses on using robotics to enhance mobility for people with disabilities. Fun fact: Jelovy enjoys playing the piano and she is ambidextrous.
Become a Research Participant!
We maintain a registry of names of people who are interested in being contacted about research studies. Opportunities include: surveys, focus groups, interviews, and technology evaluations. Depending on the study, you may be able to participate on the phone, online, on campus, at your home, or in other locations.
Interested in joining? We need to ask a you a few questions about yourself to see which studies you might be eligible for and match your interests with our researchers. Complete the brief survey (5-10 minutes) online here:
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TechSAge research is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant numbers #90REGE0021 and #90REGE0006-01-00).
NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).