National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC)

11/28/2025

Jeanne Zanca, PhD, co-investigator for the NIDILRR-funded Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System Center, received the 2025 Dr. Margaret Nosek Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. The award recognizes an individual who demonstrates drive and commitment to advancing scientific knowledge, developing standards of clinical practice, raising awareness, and advocating for appropriate health care and community support for women with disabilities. The award honors the memory and career of Dr. Nosek, who was a highly respected NIDILRR investigator.

11/27/2025

Audiom, digital mapping technology developed under the NIDILRR-funded Cross-Sensory Digital Map Project Development and the RERC on Blindness and Low Vision, received a 2025 GAADy Award from the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Foundation. https://loom.ly/KodwEHk The GAADy Awards recognize impactful contributions to advance digital accessibility. Audiom is the first digital map anyone can use, creating maps that can be accessed through audio and text as well as visually.

The GAAD Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to disrupt the culture of technology and digital product development to include accessibility as a core requirement. Our vision is for accessibility to be built into the product development lifecycle for technology and digital products...

11/26/2025

The NIDILRR-funded RRTC on Employment Among People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) 2024 released three Microlearning courses. https://loom.ly/dTNy614 Overview of the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) Model introduces SCCT and highlights how self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and personal goals shape career development. The Importance of Paid Work to Promote Vocational Engagement explores why paid work is vital for people with IDD. Engaging Families in the Career Development Process highlights the importance of family roles in planning, strategies for building strong partnerships, and ways to overcome barriers. Registration is free and required to access the courses.

Microlearning offers short, accessible lessons on employment-related topics for individuals with disabilities. Each session takes just 10 to 15 minutes to review and is available anytime.

11/21/2025

Project directors and staff of the NIDILRR-funded Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model Systems created a joint statement in collaboration with brain injury advocates, individuals with lived experience, and professionals representing several organizations, Communicating About Brain Injury https://loom.ly/zQFuQO0 (PDF).

11/20/2025

Lotus Ring, technology developed under the NIDILRR-funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, was named one of the Best Inventions of 2025 by Time Magazine. https://loom.ly/fj757GI Lotus Ring was among only three assistive technology inventions recognized, hailing it a "universal remote you can wear." Inventions were evaluated on several key factors including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact, placing Lotus Ring among 300 inventions that are making the world better, smarter, and more fun.

Find out why Lotus Ring is on TIME's list of 2025's best inventions.

11/19/2025

The NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging Among Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses will host a webinar, Serious Mental Health Conditions in Nursing Homes - 'Stakeholder Perspectives on the Federal Preadmission Screening Program (PASRR), https://loom.ly/VEZMmas 11/20 11a-12p ET, part of the Making Sense of SILVER Research series.

09/29/2025

The NIDILRR-funded Northeast ADA Regional Center will host a webinar, Disability Disclosure and the Interactive Process, 10/14 1-2:15p ET https://loom.ly/ZEpUITo Presenters will review what the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says about disability disclosure in the workplace. Presenters will discuss whether and what an employer can ask, how to support a job seeker or employee in making the choice to disclose, and what the interactive process means. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions. Registration is free and required. Continuing education credit is available.

Free webinar answers a variety of questions about disclosure in the workplace

09/29/2025

Chloe Slocum, MD, MPH, principal investigator for the NIDILRR-funded Spaulding New England Regional Spinal Cord Injury Center (SNERSCIC), received the Distinguished Public Service, Health Equity, and Advocacy Award from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) https://loom.ly/6HtSw_o The award honors individuals who, in the course of their public service activities, have made significant contributions to the enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Slocum's research is focused on assessing functional outcomes following rehabilitation and systems of health care delivery across the post-acute care continuum.

09/26/2025

The Life Impact Burn Recovery Evaluation (LIBRE) Profile, developed by the NIDILRR-funded Boston-Harvard Burn Injury Model System Center (BHBIMS), is now available as the LIBRE GO! app for mobile devices. LIBRE Profile is a questionnaire that can help burn survivors and clinicians track burn recovery, improve rehabilitation efforts, and identify areas where additional support is needed. LIBRE GO!, developed in part with support from the NIDILRR-funded App Factory to Support Health and Function of People with Disabilities, empowers burn survivors and clinicians to measure social participation in the community in real time. The app is available free for Android https://loom.ly/9TnGTSc and iOS https://loom.ly/9TnGTSc.

LIBRE Profile is a survey instrument designed to measure social participation

09/25/2025

The NIDILRR-funded Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) published a new infographic, Eating Healthy at Home for Adults After a Burn Injury https://loom.ly/E2vYzHc. The infographic provides tips and advice on how eating healthy may help adults with burn injuries improve recovery by supporting wound healing, preventing infection, and helping to maintain weight and muscle mass.

09/25/2025

The NIDILRR-funded Initiative to Mobilize Partnerships for successful Assistive teChnology Transfer (IMPACT) announced the 2025 IMPACT Awards https://loom.ly/CGL_qng recognizing outstanding entries in the 2025 RESNA Developer Showcase and Student Design Challenge. DOOR-E, smart technology for door access, received the Developer Showcase Award. TREAT-MATE, a smart medication dispenser, received the Student Design Challenge Award. The Hand Assessment Tool, an innovative, camera-based system for range of motion assessments, was a Student Design Challenge runner up and is featured in the latest episode of the ImpacTech podcast. These entries demonstrate exceptional potential for real-world technology transfer, turning creative concepts into accessible, market-ready solutions.

Each year, the RESNA Developer Showcase and Student Design Challenge shine a spotlight on the most promising innovations in rehabilitation and assistive technology. These events bring together engineers, clinicians, designers, […]

09/24/2025

Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, principal investigator for the NIDILRR-funded Northern New Jersey Spinal Cord Injury System Center, received the James J. Peters Distinguished Service Award https://loom.ly/QpjoT6Y from ASCIP. The award recognizes individuals with outstanding accomplishments in SCI healthcare and who have contributed significantly to national activities related to SCI healthcare. Dr. Tyson-Hudson's research focuses on preserving and restoring function and mobility in people with SCI and addressing secondary medical complications common in this population.

Trevor Dyson-Hudson, MD, FASIA, of Kessler Foundation was awarded the prestigious James J. Peters Distinguished Service Award at the 2025 Annual Meeting and Expo of the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals (ASCIP) in Philadelphia today.