>>> Government
Department Awards $1.2M to 11 Small Businesses to Develop Technology for People with Disabilities
he U.S. Department of Education an- nounced today that the National Insti- tute on Disability and Rehabilitation Re- search (NIDRR) has awarded 16 grants of $75,000 each to 11 small businesses to conduct research and develop technology that makes life and learning easier for indi- viduals with disabilities. For instance, one grantee will develop a
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low-cost computer graphics screen-reader for the vision-impaired; another will de- velop and evaluate an accident prevention system for manual wheelchairs; and an- other will design and develop a foot-oper- ated mouse for computers.
“These projects are designed to help
people with disabilities maximize their job productivity and economic self-sufficien- cy,” said Alexa Posny, assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Re- habilitative Services (OSERS). “This is the first step of research and development in several areas that will enhance independent living and employment for individuals with disabilities.” NIDRR’s Small Business and Innova-
tion Research (SBIR) program has two phases. Phase I determines the scientific or technical merit of the idea and awards are made for up to six months for a maximum of $75,000; and phase II projects expand on the previous results and are for up to two years and a maximum of $500,000. SBIR grants are designed to stimulate innovation in the private sector, empower small businesses in meeting federal re- search and development needs, and in- crease the commercial application of the Department’s research. The grants are funded through the NIDRR, which is part of the OSERS. All SBIR projects funded by the institute must address the needs of individuals with disabilities and their fami- lies.
The following is a list of the grants the Department announced— AbleLink Technologies, Inc.: A Remote
The Black EOE Journal
www.blackeoejournal.com 41 Schedule Management and Monitoring
System to Support Personal Scheduling by Individuals with Intellectual and Cognitive Disabilities; and A Cloud-based Activity Support System to Facilitate Independence for Individuals with Intellectual Disabili- ties; and Development and Evaluation of an Independently Usable Interface to Face- book for Individuals with Intellectual Dis- abilities.
CreateAbility Concepts, Inc.: A Talking SmartPhone and Tablet application that Helps People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired to Fully Utilize Devices with Vi- sual Flat-Panel Displays; and A Novel Electronic Aids for Daily Living System for People Who Cannot Use Their Hands. Vcom3D, Inc. – Mobile Communica-
tion App for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing In- dividuals; and Mobile Signing Math Dic- tionaries with Mouth Morphemes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Institute for Disabilities Research and
Training, Inc.: Computer and Online Soft- ware That Provides ASL Translation and Publishing Capabilities.
Advanced Medical Electronics Corp.: Low-cost Computer Graphics Screen Reader for the Vision Impaired. Good Nutrition Ideas, LLC: Nutrition Program for Community-based Group Homes for Persons with Intellectual or De- velopment Disabilities. Koronis Biomedical
Technologies
Corp.: Neurocognitive Training to Improve Executive Function. Charmtech Labs LLC: Goal-Oriented Browsing: The Next Generation Web Ac- cessibility Technology for People with Vi- sual Impairments; and Ubiquitous Web Ac- cess for People with Vision Impairments. Assistech Systems LLC: HealthCheck- er: Development of an Accessible Web- Based Application for Self-Assessment of Personal Health and Wellness by Individu- als with Cognitive Disabilities. Minnesota HealthSolutions: Automatic Accident Prevention System for Indepen- dent Wheelchair Users. Dental R.A.T., LLC: Foot-Operated Mouse for the Disability Market. Source: U.S. Department of Education
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