Wireless RERC News

The Wireless RERC is pleased to announce that users can now personalize their news experience by creating an account at www.wirelessrerc.org. Subscribers are able to choose from a variety of topics including legislation, universal design, emergency communications, employment, assistive technology, broadband, aging, and community living. Preferences can be adjusted at any time, and news notifications can be received on an as-it-happens, daily, or weekly basis.

June 2013 — Wireless RERC principal investigator, Dr. Helena Mitchell, presented 9-1-1 & Alert Trends for People with Disabilities at the National Emergency Number Associations’ (NENA) annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. NENA’s educational tracks, among other things, addressed NG911, accessibility, text-to-911, public outreach, and Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Speaking at the M-Enabling Summit on June 6, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse announced that Sprint’s new LG Optimus F3 smartphone will be preloaded with TalkBack, Google’s accessibility app for the blind and visually impaired. Unlike other smartphones that require downloading and activation of Talkback, the Optimus F3 begins providing voice guidance to help with activation and setup as soon as the user powers up the phone.

Recently published in the February 2013 issue of Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation published by the journal for the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM), this Emergency Preparedness Checklist for People with Disabilities Information and Education Page was created by Wireless RERC researcher, John Morris and Wireless RERC co-director, Mike Jones.  The checklist is meant to aid people with disabilities in putting together an emergency plan and recommend essential items necessary to survive in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. 

Georgia Tech hosted a successful 5th Annual Healthy Environments & Active Lifestyles (HEAL) Open House on Tuesday, April 23.  The open house showcased demonstrations of student projects and research from several Georgia Tech organizations, including: The Aware Home Research Initiative (AHRI), Design and Technology for Healthy Aging, The Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA), the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (Wireless RERC) and others.