Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Category: Conference News
What happens when three leading organizations in assistive technology and complex rehab technology join forces and offer a collaborative conference? The result is a great conference program that means more to attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors - more educational sessions, more topics, more networking, and more engagement with Congress and federal policymakers at the highest level.
RESNA/NCART 2016 in partnership with NRRTS marks the first-ever collaboration between RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America),
NCART (National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology), and
NRRTS (National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers). The event will combine two historically successful annual conferences, the RESNA Annual Conference and the CRT Leadership Conference, into one.
RESNA/NCART 2016 in partnership with NRRTS will feature the best of both events and leverage proximity to the nation’s capital to engage policymakers on assistive technology issues. The event includes:
- Interactive exhibits
- Workshops on best practices in assistive technology
- Research platforms and poster sessions
- Capitol Hill visits and briefings
- Pre-conference instructional courses, including RESNA’s Fundamentals in Assistive Technology Course
- Networking events, student competitions, the Developer’s Forum, and more
Pre-Conference Sessions: July 10 & 11
A separate fee is required for all pre-conference education sessions. The sessions are:
- RESNA’s Fundamentals in Assistive Technology (Two-day course, July 10 & 11): RESNA’s Fundamentals course is for those new to the industry, as well as professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge base. This course provides an overview of numerous areas of assistive technology, using multiple case studies to illustrate principles of assistive technology provision. (1.4 CEUs)
- N=1 Studies: What Are They and How Do I Get One? (Full day course, July 11): Single-subject design (SSD) research studies offer AT researchers and practitioners methods to quantify outcomes. This course will cover the topic in depth, and participants will develop a better understanding of how to set up and conduct their own SSD experiments. (0.75 CEUs)
- Power Wheelchair Driving Methods (Full day course, July 11): Not everyone can use a standard joystick. This course will present a variety of alternative proportional and digital driving methods with clinical indicators for each. (0.75 CEUs)
- Access to Mobile Devices for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (Full day course, July 11): This hands-on, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) course will address a variety of access issues for people with disabilities, as well as mounting and wheelchair integration. (0.75 CEUs)
- Coding and Reimbursement for a Successful Seating Clinic (Half day course, July 11): This course will provide information on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and how to use these codes for wheelchair and mobility services. For those patients on Medicare, the selection of G-codes and tools to select modifiers will also be presented. (0.375 CEUs)
General Conference: Workshops
RESNA/NCART 2016 in partnership with NRRTS will offer over 50 workshop presentations on best practices in assistive technology over three days, July 12, 13 and 14. Workshop topics include:
- Cognitive and Sensory Impairments
- Computer Applications and Communications
- Emerging Technology
- International Appropriate Technology
- Job & Environmental Accommodations, including Ergonomics
- Public Policy and Advocacy
- Seating and Mobility, including Complex Rehab Technology
- Service Delivery and Outcomes
In keeping with the multidisciplinary nature of assistive technology practice, many workshop presentations overlap topic areas. For example, the topic area of “Emerging Technology” includes workshops that could also fit under “Seating and Mobility, including Complex Rehab Technology,” as well as other topics. A workshop search tool on the conference website allows users to search workshops by topic and keywords, to find the presentations of most interest to them.
Favorite CRT Leadership Conference Elements
Thanks to the collaborative nature of the conference, attendees will be able to take advantage of these popular CRT Leadership Conference elements:
- Capitol Hill visits with consumers on Thursday, July 14
- CRT Industry Leaders Panel
- CRT Town Hall Meeting
- Medicaid CRT Issues and Advocacy
- CRT Legislative and Regulatory Update
- Tips for Meeting with Congress session
In addition, there are multiple workshop presentations on seating, mobility and complex rehab technology, including a “Seating, Mobility and CRT Show and Tell” session.
Favorite RESNA Annual Conference Elements
The conference will also offer popular RESNA Annual Conference elements, including:
- “Works in Progress” and “Show and Tell” sessions for Accommodations, Communication Technologies and Computer Access, Emerging Technologies, and Seating, Mobility and Complex Rehab Technology
- Scientific research platforms and poster sessions
- The Developer’s Forum, a very popular event that allows developers to get critical feedback from the AT community about new products or enhancements on existing products
- Student Design Competition and Student Scientific Paper Competition
- Networking opportunities, including Special Interest Group and Professional Specialty Group meetings
Other Conference Events
- AgrAbility’s 25th Anniversary Celebration - The National AgrAbility Project, based at Purdue University, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with an invited luncheon on Tuesday, June 12, AgrAbility works to eliminate barriers for farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers with disabilities. For more on AgrAbility’s 25th Anniversary, visit the anniversary website.
- NIDILRR Project Directors Meeting - Due to the conference’s proximity to Washington, D.C., and in keeping with RESNA’s traditional emphasis on research, NIDILRR (National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research) is co-locating a Project Directors Meeting and Tech Transfer Meeting at the conference, on July 11 and 12.
- RESNA Catalyst Project Annual Conference for AT Act Programs – The RESNA Catalyst Project, under a cooperative grant from the Administration of Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, is co-locating its annual conference for state Assistive Technology (AT) Act Programs at the conference, July 11 & 12.
Registration and Hotel Information
Early-bird registration is available until May 25, 2016. RESNA, NCART and NRRTS members receive a 25% discount off of regular registration. NCART and NRRTS members must use a discount code, provided by their organizations, in order to receive the discount. Discounted student registration is also available. One-day registration is also available. Pre-conference educational sessions require a separate fee. For more information, visit the registration webpage.
The conference venue is the
Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. The hotel is conveniently located 5 minutes from Reagan National Airport (DCA) and offers a complimentary hotel airport shuttle, as well as a complimentary shuttle to the Crystal City Metro stop. The discounted conference room rate of $199 a night plus tax is available until Sunday, June 26. The Hyatt Regency Crystal City is committed to ensuring that they meet and exceed all requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for an enjoyable and accessible stay. Visit the conference hotel link to book your stay, or call 1-888-421-1442 and reference the RESNA/NCART conference.