Neil Squire Society Awarded RESNA’s Most Disruptive Technology Award

July 5, 2017

BURNABY, British Columbia, July 5, 2017 – The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA (new window)) awarded the Most Disruptive Technology award to the Neil Squire Society for their LipSync, a device that was developed by the Society’s Makers Making Change initiative. The award was presented to Harry Lew, Neil Squire Society’s Manager of Research and Development at the RESNA 2017 Annual Conference (new window) in New Orleans, LA on June 29th, 2017.

LipSync is a mouth operated joystick that allows a person to control an onscreen cursor with minimal head and neck movement. It allows someone with no movement in their hands to use a touchscreen device. It is an open source hardware project created by Neil Squire Society and funded by Google (new window) , that uses 3D printed parts, and Arduino Mini board, and other electronic parts that can be soldered to create the device.

Julie using a LipSync

RESNA (new window) Awards recognize individuals and organizations for their efforts and contributions to the field of assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering and to the RESNA organization. These awards honor members of a large and diverse community of dedicated peers and professionals, committed to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through the use of technology.

“We are very proud at the Neil Squire Society to be recognized by RESNA with this award,” says Dr. Gary Birch (new window), Executive Director of the Neil Squire Society. “The team that’s been working on the LipSync has done a fantastic job and we look forward to seeing this technology being another important enabler for persons with disabilities to live more inclusive lives. Thank you RESNA for this recognition.”

About Neil Squire Society
“We use Technology, Knowledge, and Passion to Empower Canadians with Disabilities”. The Neil Squire Society is the only national not-for-profit organization in Canada that has for over thirty years empowered Canadians with disabilities through the use of computer-based assistive technologies, research and development, and various employment programs. Through our work, we help our clients remove barriers so that they can live independent lives and become active members of the workplace and our society. Specializing in education and workplace empowerment, the Society has served over 35,000 people since 1984.

About Makers Making Change
Makers Making Change is a new initiative by the Neil Squire Society. It will connect Makers to people with disabilities, to create access solutions. It will also feature a catalogue of various open-source assistive technology projects, with parts, instructions and reviews to support makers and people with disabilities. Their first major project is the LipSync.

About RESNA
RESNA (new window), the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency.

For Further Information, please contact

Chad Leaman
604.473.9363
chadl@neilsquire.ca

Distribution of this press release was generously donated by Marketwired (new window).