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Technologies to Support Aging among People with Long-Term Disabilities

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technologies to Support Aging among People with Long-Term Disabilities (RERC TechSAge) is a collaborative grant center based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Georgia Institute of Technology, Person In Design, and Georgia State University. Founded in 2013, TechSAge features multidisciplinary research, development, and training projects that are dedicated to understanding the needs of, and developing supportive technologies for, people aging with long-term vision, hearing, and mobility disabilities.

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TechSAge Talks with Yi-An Chen

TechSAge Talks are Q&A interviews on all things aging, disability, & tech. Our latest conversation features Yi-An Chen – an occupational therapist teaming up with musicians to develop a music-based hand therapy app for individuals post-stroke. Learn more about the innovative Keystroke app.

Featured Article: Communication challenges and response strategies of late-deafened older adults

A new TechSAge article in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics explores the unique communication challenges faced by late-deafened older adults. In the Aging, Challenges, Concerns, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study, researchers identified key barriers included noisy environments, limitations of assistive technology, lack of visual cues, and insufficient support from others. The study also revealed the various strategies participants use to manage these communication challenges, such as captioning, amplification devices, lip-reading, and advocating for their support needs. Read the full article by Gianna Kohl, Erin Heniff, Maya Dye, and Wendy Rogers.

Latest Publications

Technology Implications

Everyday Challenges for Individuals Aging With Vision Impairment: Technology Implications

Aging Trends

Understanding Wheelchair Use in Older Adults From the National Health and Aging Trends Study

Digital Assistants

Understanding the needs of older adults learning to use digital home assistants: A demonstration study

Staff Spotlight: Maria Lusardi

Maria Lusardi is a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at Illinois and is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Human-Centered Autonomy Lab. On TechSAge, she is part of the team designing and testing Waybot – a robotic wayfinding assistant for people aging with vision impairment. Her research interests are centered on how humans and robots can work together effectively. In her free time, Maria likes to knit and is currently working on her first sweater.

Become a Research Participant!

We maintain a registry of names of people who are interested in being contacted about research studies. Opportunities include: surveys, focus groups, interviews, and technology evaluations. Depending on the study, you may be able to participate on the phone, online, on campus, at your home, or in other locations.

Interested in joining? We need to ask a you a few questions about yourself to see which studies you might be eligible for and match your interests with our researchers. Complete the brief survey (5-10 minutes) online here:

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TechSAge research is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR Grant #90REGE0021)

NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).