Professional education programs in rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology

Issue title: The Field of Assistive Technology

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Lenker, James A.^{; *}

Affiliations: State University of New York at Buffalo, Center for Assistive Technology, 515 Kimball Tower, Buffalo, NY 14214-3079, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Tel.: + 1 716 8293141; fax: + 1 716 8293217; e-mail: lenker@acsu.buffalo.edu.

Abstract: Historically, rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology practitioners have received inconsistent pre-professional training. A survey of current post-secondary professional curricula reveals several facets of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology educational models that remain diverse. Suggestions for improvement and standardization of educational curricula are given based on the body of literature related to pre-professional education of practitioners, as well as anticipated certification and accreditation efforts by the field's principal credentialing body.

Keywords: Assistive technology, Rehabilitation engineering, Rehabilitation technology, Education, Training

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-1998-91-204

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 9, no. 1-2, pp. 37-48, 1998