Home

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, 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.

Screenshot of TechSAge News header. Includes three images cropped together in order: Image 1: male wheelchair user holding smart phone.  Image 2: two hands reading braille. Image 3: woman communicating in sign language to an older man and woman on video chat on her computer.

Fall 2024 Newsletter – Now Available

In this issue of TechSAge News, we look back at the past year to highlight achievements and updates from the Center. Learn more about our featured projects and staff, and catch up on the latest events, publications, and study opportunities.

Featured Article

Using Technology to Support the Everyday Activities of People Aging with Long-Term Disabilities

A new TechSAge article published in the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) Journal special issue on technology and aging highlights our center’s approach of user-centered technology R&D to address the unique challenges of aging with disability. The article spotlights three TechSAge projects that used commercially-available products as exemplars of user centered design for technology interventions: Telewellness Technologies, Monitoring and Managing Falls Among People Who Use Wheelchairs, and Voice-Activated Digital Assistants. These projects demonstrate the potential of technology to enhance social connection, wellness, safety, activity performance among people aging with disability. Read the full article by Laura Rice, Elena Remillard, Emma Lachs, Tracy Mitzner, Jon Sanford, 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:Andie Tangonan, PhD Student

Andreana (Andie) Tangonan is a 2nd-year PhD student in Applied Health Sciences at Illinois. On TechSAge, she is the lead graduate research assistant on the Monitoring and Managing Falls Project aimed at improving the safety and mobility of wheelchair users. In this role, she works on identifying risk factors for falls among this population and developing strategies to enhance independence and quality of life. Andie is passionate about adapted physical activity and promoting inclusion for individuals with disabilities and plans to continue her research in academia after graduation. Fun fact: Tangonan enjoys trying new recipes and spending time with her puppy, Billy.

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:

Join Our Mailing List!

Stay up-to-date on the latest TechSAge news by joining our mailing list.

TechSAge research is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR Grant #90REGE0021 and #90REGE0006-01-00)

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