About the Assistive Technology Labs

The Assistive Technology Labs, founded by Dr. Al Cook, presently directed by Dr. Kim Adams, are in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta and Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.

Vision:

To maximize participation in society by people with disabilities through the study of assistive technology (AT) use, devices and strategies.

Overarching Objective:

Particular emphasis is placed on study of the role of AT in cognitive and language development in children who have severe physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy. The current research program focuses on the control of robotic systems for play and educational tasks by children with severe motor disabilities and varying levels of cognitive and language skills.

Local Collaboration:

The Assistive Technology Labs have collaborations with UofA Departments of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology and Audiology, Engineering, Computing Science, Psychology and Special Education. We also collaborate with the I Can Centre for Assistive Technology at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. These collaborative relationships support the interdisciplinary research environment of the AT Lab.

International Collaboration:

The Assistive Technology Labs also have a collaborative relationship with various international partners in the United States, Portugal, Colombia, and Peru.

Research Streams:

The work of the AT Lab consists of four research streams:

  1. Assistive Technology Development,
  2. Children's Development and Assistive Technology,
  3. Assistive Technology Clinical Research, and
  4. Internationally Appropriate Assistive Technology.