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Entry into the AT field:
1976
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How I got into the
field
My academic degrees are in
Physical Education (BA, MA) and Exercise Physiology (PhD). I was an Assistant
Professor at the University of Virginia working in the area of biomechanics and
was recruited to participate in an RERC that had been awarded to the Department
of Orthopedics.
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Important event(s) that influenced
my early decision to get into the assistive technology field
My initial association was to conduct research on
the biomechanics of wheelchair propulsion at the RERC. The watershed event that
led to my career change was the recruitment of Colin McLaurin as the director
of the REC.
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Why I chose the AT
field
As I have noted above, my
association with the field of assistive technology began largely by chance, but
as I became more engaged and gained an appreciation of the importance of
research and development of assistive technology it rather quickly became the
mainstream concern for my academic and professional career.
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My inspiration and
mentor
The most important and most
inspirational mentor was clearly Colin McLaurin. Colin joined the University of
Virginia RERC in May, 1977. He was my mentor and compass for issues relating to
disability and technology until I left UVa for the University of Pittsburgh in
1991. I continue to rely on the lessons I learned from working with Colin as
both friend and mentor. I should note also that he provided me with a sense of
direction for life in general. I succeeded Colin as Director of the Wheeled
Mobility RERC in 1987. My first act in the capacity of director was to persuade
Colin to continue working with us on a part-time basis.
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Why the field is important to me
and the central focus of my work
I
continue to view rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology as my
professional identity. My career and area of work has evolved considerably over
the past 30 years. I have been engaged with rehabilitation engineering now for
nearly half of my life. My first engagement was in research and later, design
and development. My current role as an academic administrator is more remote
but I am no less passionate about this field that has embraced me as much I
have embraced it.
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My memorable successes and
greatest contributions to the field
I
believe I've made important conceptual contributions. This is borne out by the
fact that many of the original pilot work I initiated in the late '70s and
throughout the '80s has been repeated with the findings confirmed and research
expanded. I have since come to realize I was more interested in trying new
things but lacked the discipline to carry out the extensive research that is
necessary - particularly in this age of HIPAA, protracted institutional review
processes and patient registries. When I came to the University of Pittsburgh
and accepted my current position as Dean I found that I could hire people who
were better than me in every area where I had worked in research and
development. I view my most memorable successes in two main areas of
accomplishment. One is the establishment of Rehabilitation Science and
Technology as a freestanding, academic degree-granting Department (BS, MS, PhD)
in a top tier research university. I believe it was the first, and may still be
the only fully acknowledged independent academic department for rehabilitation
engineering and assistive technology. Our school (Health and Rehabilitation
Sciences) started the first PhD program in Rehabilitation Science in a US
university. The other area that I view as a success has been the development of
a school whose focus and mission is defined in the context of education,
service and scholarship in Disability and Rehabilitation. We are heartened by
the fact that several other universities have adopted the designation of Health
and Rehabilitation Sciences in lieu of "Health Related Professions" and "Allied
Health." I attribute the success of the school to the faculty that we have
recruited and to the large and growing number of professionals we have educated
in the rehabilitation disciplines and, particularly in rehabilitation
engineering and assistive technology. By "launching" many bright and creative
individuals from our program I believe we greatly increase the probability of
seminal contribution to our field.
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My most memorable
failures
In the early years I made
the mistake of believing I could design better devices based on logic and
intuition. I began to realize (fairly soon) that I was in no position to judge
what would be best for people who used assistive devices. Several of my early
efforts produced devices that worked, but these devices (wheelchair designs)
suffered from an absence of perspective from people for whom they were intended
and also from a naïveté with respect to market dynamics. The
obvious (after accepting that the work, despite good intentions was flawed)
solution was to engage people who use the technology for insight on what they
wanted from assistive technology. It was also necessary to work more closely
and effectively with industry and to understand the limitations for
reimbursement.
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Significant changes and advances
in the field since I first entered it
When I was first introduced to rehabilitation
engineering in 1976, every wheelchair looked and performed like every other
wheelchair. Most assistive technologies were primitive. Nearly everything
required some degree of customization. Many devices were one-off creations by
rehabilitation engineers. There were virtually no standards for assistive
devices. This has all changed quite dramatically.
Technology has improved in all areas; standards
have been developed for most major assistive devices; customization is now
largely conducted within the scope of adjustments and configuration options for
most assistive devices. There are now well-defined and established programs to
train professionals to the extent that rehabilitation engineering and assistive
technology are approaching a new level of maturity. The role of a
rehabilitation engineer has been substantially redefined.
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On the future of rehabilitation
engineering and assistive technology
The future is always difficult to predict, but I
believe that we can expect substantial changes. How we plan, respond and adapt
will determine the viability of our field. I believe that advances in tissue
and organ regeneration will have a profound influence on all aspects of
rehabilitation. We have worked diligently to engage our colleagues in
regenerative medicine, and we have jointly adopted the concept of "Regenerative
Rehabilitation" as a common concept and goal. I believe that there will be an
increase in opportunities over the complete spectrum of rehabilitation.
Technical, engineering and computational expertise will be increasingly
important to our field.
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My role within RESNA and what it
gave back to me
I have served in
nearly every capacity in RESNA. My RESNA activities include service as a board
member and officer continuously from 1986 to 1998. I have also participated
extensively in conference activities, standards, special interest groups,
retreats and other planning and process activities. It is difficult for me to
separate my career from my activities with RESNA. They seem to be fused as I am
at a loss to find any obvious seams. I was a founding member and have been an
active participant. Virtually all my career decisions since my entry into
rehabilitation engineering have been influenced in some manner by my engagement
and association with RESNA.
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On the future of RESNA
I think we can predict some of the events that
will have a substantial impact on RESNA, but unfortunately we will not likely
be able to estimate the timing of them with very much accuracy. We should be
prepared to respond to events that have the potential to substantially alter
our field. Success in regeneration will have substantial consequences for us.
Our future will depend on our resiliency and capacity to respond and
adapt.
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My suggestions for those just
entering the field
I would tell those
who are entering that they are fortunate as this is a noble and gratifying
field of endeavor. They should come to it with both passion and dedication,
they should be prepared for continuous learning and development to stay abreast
of what is certain to be a dynamic, changing landscape.
