Technologies to Support Aging-in-Place
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support Aging-in-Place for People with Long-Term Disabilities (RERC TechSAge) is a collaborative grant center based at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 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.
Jon Sanford New Role at Georgia State University
We are pleased to share that Co-Director Jon Sanford has started a new role as a Research Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Georgia State University (GSU), where he will be responsible for expanding the OT research program. While this is a big change for Jon, we expect this to be a near-seamless transition for TechSAge. The prime contract for the grant will remain at Georgia Tech, with Co-Director, Tracy Mitzner, now serving as the Administrative Director for the RERC. Jon will continue to serve as a Co-Director and fulfill his responsibilities on TechSAge projects through a new subcontract to GSU. We are excited for this opportunity to expand TechSAge’s capacity and to foster new collaborations with a clinical rehabilitation program.
Featured Article
Transportation Challenges: Aging with Mobility Disability
Many individuals aging with mobility disability lack access to adequate transportation, which can hinder their ability to fully participate in society. A new TechSAge article in Disability & Health Journal presents detailed insights on the challenges persons aging with mobility disability experience utilizing both public and private modes of transportation, from buses, to paratransit, to rideshare services like Uber. Data are presented along with recent U.S. federal policies and programs designed to enhance transportation access and mobility for older adults and people with disabilities. To identify policy gaps and opportunities to improve transportation services for this population, researchers explore how consumer-level challenges compare to agency-level barriers in delivering transportation services at the state and local levels. Read the full open access article by Remillard, Campbell, Koon, & Rogers.
Staff Spotlight: Bethanie Sharp
Bethanie Sharp is a senior at the University of Kansas double majoring in Speech Language Pathology and Linguistics with a minor in Psychology. Bethanie works an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Lyndsie Koon at the KU Research and Training Center on Independent Living, supporting a project that encourages physical activity for manual wheelchair users with technology assistance. She is also involved with the TechSAge ACCESS study—a user needs study exploring the everyday challenges of older adults with long-term disabilities. Focusing on the subsample of ACCESS participants aging with multiple sclerosis (MS), Bethanie supports recruitment, screening, and conducting interviews. Her research interests include improving awareness about language disorders, reducing prejudice towards individuals with disabilities, and bolstering intervention practices for dyslexia, specific language impairment, and autism. She enjoys reading, drinking coffee or tea with friends, and strength training.
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: