Federal / Regulatory

Changes in memory are one of the most frequently reported cognitive deficits among people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and are one of the factors with the greatest impact on independence and quality of life following injury. Evidence supports the use of external aids in the treatment of memory impairments in adults following TBI. This article describes the development and initial user-testing of a mobile app designed to run on Google Glass to serve as an external memory aid for people...

Cellphones, smartphones and tablets offer considerable potential to enhance the independence and social and economic participation of people with disabilities. The rapid proliferation of smartphones and tablets has offered new low-cost speech generating options on mainstream platforms for users of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Data are presented from the Survey of User Needs (SUN), a national survey on use of mobile wireless technology by people across several...

The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system is a free, opt-out, national emergency alerting service that was deployed in 2012 as one component of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning Systems (IPAWS). Since 2012 over 10,000 WEA messages have been transmitted to mobile phones in the U.S. In 2015, a national online survey on WEAs (2015 WEA Survey) was conducted to understand the effectiveness of WEA messages for people with disabilities. The survey collected data on availability, awareness and...

The rapidly expanding market for wearable computing devices (wearables), driven by the confluence of information and communication technology and public acceptance of a design aesthetic, suggests nearly limitless potential for consumer uses. As adoption of wearables spreads, there are cultural and social impacts that represent both barriers and opportunities, with subsequent public policy ramifications. All too often designers, technologists, and policymakers operate independently;...

 Designers and engineers utilize personas and user profiles to give life and substance to user research findings. The pace of development and diffusion of mobile wireless technologies make modeling of consumer profiles ever more critical, especially for people with disabilities, for whom mobile technology can be either empowering or disenfranchising. Fueled by global competition and government policy in the US and elsewhere, inclusive design has become a priority for wireless device...

People with disabilities have benefited from the use of assistive technologies that compensate for, or augment functioning.  Socially assistive robots (SAR) both assist with functioning, and engage users socially, often as service, co- robots and companions.  Trends in networked learning communities suggest that membership and rules of exchange will define function, engagement and experiences.  Future communities will likely be...

Advancements in wireless technology (e.g. cell phones and tablets) have opened new communication opportunities and environments for individuals with severe communication disabilities. The advancement of these technologies poses challenges to ensuring that these individuals enjoy equal access to this increasingly essential technology. However, a paucity of research exists.   These wireless devices offer substantial benefits and opportunities to individuals with disabilities who rely on...

This article describes a flexible and effective approach to research and development in an era of rapid technological advancement. The approach relies on secondary dispersal of grant funds to commercial developers through a competitive selection process. This “App Factory” model balances the practical reliance on multi-year funding needed to sustain a rehabilitation engineering research center (RERC), with the need for agility and adaptability of development efforts undertaken in a rapidly-...

This spring, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) moved the needle forward on several large communications issues that impact access by people with disabilities.  In April, the FCC Order concerning the Lifeline and Linkup programs [WC Docket No.11-42] took a variety of actions to create an affordable Lifeline broadband program.  The Order discusses the minimum service standards for Lifeline Services, asserting that functional Internet access is...

In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took several actions to improve communications access for people with disabilities. Regarding emergency communications, in efforts to implement the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA), they announced that beginning November 30, 2015, video programming distributors must provide emergency information television text crawls to people with vision loss by sounding an aural tone...