CHAMPIONING ABILITIES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Dan Ding

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.

“People with disabilities want to participate in their community,” notes Ding. “As rehabilitation scientists, we can help make that happen. We develop and evaluate tech-based solutions by assessing each individual’s unique abilities, digital skills and other contextual factors such as home environment.”

She says this comprehensive approach helps researchers better adapt and optimize tech solutions to improve a person’s health, wellness and participation in various activities.

As director of Pitt’s Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC), Ding leads an interdisciplinary team that empowers people with disabilities to embrace existing wireless technology to take control of their lives. “It’s all about providing access,” Ding says.

In a recent study, Ding’s team identified 46 different tasks in the home that can be assisted by commercially available smart devices. Users with complex disabilities are taught to use their voices, eyes, hands or a joystick to make a selection on a personalized dashboard, and then complete tasks such as opening and closing blinds, locking doors, operating microwaves or taking inventory of their cupboards and closets.

Individuals with total paralysis can also enjoy more independence through Ding’s latest endeavor, the SmartTech Implementation Hub for Paralysis Care. The hub, which leverages sensors, data analytics, connectivity, artificial intelligence and other smart technology features, will serve as a national resource center to support smart technology implementation for paralysis care.

To ensure the latest research finds its way into clinical practice, Ding also oversees a postdoctoral fellowship program called Career Advancement and Training for Assistive Technology Practice, Research and Policy (CAT-PReP).

According to Ding, the fellowship will improve clinicians’ capacity to advance evidence-based practice and inform equitable policies for access to assistive technologies, with the goal of further empowering people with disabilities.