When it comes to assistive technology, one size does not fit all. Just ask Dan Ding, associate professor and vice chair for research and translation, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.

When people lose their vision, the risk of losing their independence is a major concern. José-Alain Sahel, Distinguished Professor and Eye and Ear Foundation Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, is devoted to helping them keep or recover both. In the first year since the opening of the UPMC Vision Institute, which he directs, he and his team enrolled multiple patients in research studies, several of which rely on assistive technologies.

Empowering people with disabilities to work, travel, engage with others and participate in a life that is free from barriers. This is the mission—and legacy—of Rory Cooper, Distinguished Professor of Rehabilitation Science and Technology and founder of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.