Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025
Category: Member News
Many thanks for an incredible conference experience!
RESNA was proud to hold our annual conference on May 12-16 in Chicago as part of RehabWeek 2025! The conference featured a vibrant mix of plenary sessions, educational tracks, student competitions, and access to global leaders in rehabilitation technology.
It was truly wonderful to reconnect in person. For me, the collaborative spirit and shared enthusiasm have always been the superpowers of RESNA conferences. As I clean out my conference notebook, here are a few personal highlights:
Congratulations to our Student Scientific Paper Award winners: Mia Hoffman, Thomas Kutcher, Madeleine McCreary, Sayeda Farzana Aktar, and Jessica Stanley.
I’d also like to celebrate the Student Design Challenge winners from Queen’s University, the University of Washington, and Virginia Tech, and extend a big congratulations to our Developers Showcase winner, David Savage.
I had the pleasure of introducing an outstanding plenary panel, “From Inpatient to Outpatient – Managing the Transition Needs for Assistive Technology,” led by Sue Redepenning, OT, APT, who moderated a stellar cast of panelists: Stephanie Bay, PhD, CCC-SLP, ATP; Lindsey Morris, OTD, OTR/L; and Drew Redepenning, MD, ATP.
We closed out RESNA’s conference program with the 2025 Colin McLaurin lecture, given by Jean L. Minkel, PT, AT. For over three decades, Jeannie has been one of RESNA’s most influential members. Her lecture, "Mobility Equity: Uncovering Systemic Inequities Towards Persons with Mobility Disabilities,” drew on Jeannie’s extensive leadership in wheelchair service delivery, emphasizing the importance of listening to users as we design systems that encourage true mobility equity. Using Bryan Stevenson’s justice framework, she challenged us to examine how clinical practices, policies, and technologies can either reinforce or dismantle systemic barriers.
Finally, many thanks to everyone who joined us for Member Night at Pinstripes! It was great to spend the evening with so many of you in a relaxed and fun setting.
Best wishes to you and yours for a wonderful start to your summer!
Jim Lenker, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA, RESNA Fellow
RESNA President