Overview of Process:

This is an annual multi-institution student design competition that solicits innovative approaches for making medical devices and/or their interfaces more accessible and usable.  It is unique in its focus on user-centered accessible design of health-related products. It is motivated in part by our opinion, one shared by many engineering educators within the rehabilitation field, that accessible design principles should become part of the design curriculum. There are also federal and state laws mandating accessibility.

Specific design goals, criteria and budgets for each year’s design competition are formulated based on evolving results of RERC R1 needs assessment and R2 usability analysis, and input from advisors and the D2.2 design committee.

Short proposals, addressed to Dr. Enderle, are required to enter the competition, which is announced in early August of each year (e.g., see the 2004 design competition announcement). Once approved, funds are available to help the design team implement their project, typically up to $2000/project. Preliminary instructions and contest rules are available. Web-based project reports are required that are then judged by the D2.2 design committee (typically in June of each year). These final project reports must include a section that addresses universal design principles, and how features of the design address the needs of any targeted hypothetical clients. Students entering this competition are expected to use appropriate rehabilitation and disability terminology and to read available resources on accessible and universal design principles.

In addition to awards (typically made each June), winning projects that have special potential for technology transfer may receive Phase II design development support for students and/or their faculty supervisors, to work with the RERC to help bring the prototype through the next stage of the development process.