An Implant for Low Blood Pressure

 

September 2026 - View in browser

RESEARCH New Implant Targets Blood Pressure Swings After SCI If you live with a high-level injury, you know the standard answers to low blood pressure: an abdominal binder, compression garments, a pill. ONWARD Medical's ARC-IM takes a different route. A 16-electrode lead sits in the epidural space over a dense cluster of blood pressure neurons in the lower thoracic cord and stimulates it directly.   In a preliminary study of 14 people with SCI, turning the implant on raised blood pressure immediately and reduced both the frequency and severity of hypotensive symptoms. Learn more about the implant and how to submit for their latest FDA-approved trial. PRODUCTS Nobody Asked for a Crab Chair Toyota's Walk Me concept swaps wheels for four articulating legs, uses lidar and radar to read the ground and carries its rider up stairs. Ian Ruder, a C5 quad, would take one tomorrow. He also thinks it is the latest example of engineering inspiration porn: sleek, expensive, headline-grabbing prototypes that pull talented designers and corporate money away from the unglamorous problems — like a good indoor-outdoor power chair or a shower chair for step-in showers — that could make a real difference in wheelchair users’ lives. I Hate Flossing. I Tried Gfloss Anyway If you can't use your fingers, flossing typically means someone else's hands in your mouth and a lot of "is this the right spot?" NM Editor-in-Chief Ian Ruder, who hasn't flossed regularly in almost 50 cavity-free years, agreed to test Gfloss anyway. It's a quarter-sized piece of pink plastic strung with floss that you bite into place and move from gap to gap with your tongue. After 20 minutes of practice, he was doing a better job on most of his teeth than with any adaptive flossing device he'd tried. PERSPECTIVES Give Me the Tools to Live My Life, Not a System That Controls It Maria Matzik has spent more than 30 years advocating for people with disabilities. Her day-to-day life is also a real-world test of Medicaid's two home care systems, as she uses both traditional waivers and self-direction, where she hires and schedules caregivers herself. Matzik says the difference between the two systems shows up in the small stuff, like when a caregiver hits traffic and arrives 15 minutes late. With the traditional system, that means reports and administrative hoops with a care coordinator. With self-direction, she and her caregiver just fix it.   "We should never have to choose between prioritizing accountability and independence," she writes. "We should insist on both."

New Mobility publishes member content for United Spinal Association, whose mission is to empower wheelchair users to achieve their highest quality of life. Join here.

Registration EXTENDED until September 28! Caregivers and Professionals: Register for Brain Injury Fundamentals Training.

 

Deadline is EXTENDED to September 28th! Brain Injury Fundamentals: Practical training for those who support people with brain injury. Supporting someone with a brain injury (BI) can involve complex questions about cognition, health, medications, behavior, and day-to-day care. Our Brain Injury Fundamentals course provides caregivers, direct support staff, and professionals with foundational knowledge to better understand BI and provide informed support. Course Details Led by Alicia Smalls, MPH, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS, CDP, this virtual training covers topics including: understanding brain injury cognitive changes and challenges medical complications medication safety and management practical considerations for supporting people with brain injury Participants who successfully complete the training and exam earn a Brain Injury Fundamentals certificate valid for three years. Schedule The course includes four virtual sessions: Thursday, October 8 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 29 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 12 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 19 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Location: Virtual via Zoom Fee: $130, including workbook, training, and exam Registration deadline: September 28, 2026 Space is limited to 20 participants. Register Now! Questions? Contact Kristi Hartwell at coordinator@biaofsc.com or 803-731-9823.

2026 SC Assistive Technology Leadership Conference 10/8/2026

 

This year's AT Leadership Conference will focus on AT Implementation.  Lunch will be provided, and attendees must register by Friday 10/2/2026.

2026 SC Assistive Technology Leadership Conference

Assistive Technology in Action: Implementation Strategies for Teams and District Leaders

 

Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Location: SC Department of Archives and History (8301 Parklane Rd., Columbia, SC 29223)

Cost: Free

Registration: Participants must register to attend. 

If you need an accommodation to participate, please contact us at least at least one week prior to the in-person event via e-mail or by phone at 803-935-5263.

About the Conference

The SC Assistive Technology Leadership Conference is designed to provide resources, networking and support to South Carolina school district assistive technology leaders and teams and other state agencies. Join us for a day filled with opportunities to collaborate, share, and expand your knowledge of assistive technology best practices. Attendees will explore resources for addressing AT needs in school districts. Participants will examine important considerations of implementing assistive technology literacy and communication supports; built-in AT resources, tips, and strategies; and discuss specific practices for implementing AT in schools.

• Explore assistive technology implementation strategies for district teams
• Network with assistive technology teams from other school districts across South Carolina
• Learn what is working well for other practitioners
• Tell us how we can support you in the coming year!

Please see the flyer attached for the agenda for this in-person event.  

Register today!

 

The conference takes place in Washington, DC from Nove

Registration is Now Open for AUCD’s 2026 Conference! AUCD welcomes all Network members, non-network organizational partners, experts from all across the disability field, individuals with disabilities, family members, students, and trainees to learn and grow together at its annual conference in Washington, DC! Whether you're a newcomer to the field or a seasoned professional, the 2026 AUCD Conference: Impact through Innovation and Partnership will provide opportunities to share with and learn from colleagues and peers.  Join us for engaging large group plenaries from high-level leaders; more than 200 concurrent and poster presentations; and innovative research, programming, and advocacy efforts. Registration is now open. See you in Washington, DC! Register today! Apply for Conference Scholarships! This year, AUCD is pleased to offer two scholarships supporting AUCD Emerging Leaders and General Conference attendees.  Emerging Leaders Conference Scholarships will provide $500 to (a) current trainees and (b) former trainees presenting work conducted while a trainee. The General Conference Scholarship is open to self-advocates, family members, and early career professionals (5 years or less experience in the Network).  Learn more about the scholarships and see if you are eligible to apply. The application deadline is Monday, September 28, by 11:59 PM ET. Scholarship Information Make your Reservation Today!  AUCD's conference will take place at the The Westin Washington, DC Downtown Hotel. AUCD has a room block for $280/night for single or double occupancy.  The Westin DC has 23 ADA rooms, 10 of which have roll-in showers. All of the hotels' roll-in shower rooms are in AUCD's room block. The room block closes on October 16. Make your reservations today. Reserve your room! AUCD is excited to see and learn from you November 8-11 in Washington, D.C. Sign up to receive the latest AUCD Conference updates. Use #AUCD2026 to share about the Conference on social media!

Deadline is September 21st! Caregivers and Professionals: Register for Brain Injury Fundamentals Training.

 

Deadline is September 21st! Brain Injury Fundamentals: Practical training for those who support people with brain injury. Supporting someone with a brain injury (BI) can involve complex questions about cognition, health, medications, behavior, and day-to-day care. Our Brain Injury Fundamentals course provides caregivers, direct support staff, and professionals with foundational knowledge to better understand BI and provide informed support.

Course Details Led by Alicia Smalls, MPH, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS, CDP, this virtual training covers topics including: understanding brain injury cognitive changes and challenges medical complications medication safety and management practical considerations for supporting people with brain injury Participants who successfully complete the training and exam earn a Brain Injury Fundamentals certificate valid for three years.

Schedule The course includes four virtual sessions: Thursday, October 8 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 29 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 12 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 19 | 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Location: Virtual via Zoom Fee: $130, including workbook, training, and exam Registration deadline: September 21, 2026 Space is limited to 20 participants.

Register Now!

Questions? Contact Kristi Hartwell at coordinator@biaofsc.com or 803-731-9823.

2027 Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy: CFP extended to October 4

 

Colleagues, the deadline to submit a proposal for this conference has been extended to Sunday, October 4, 2026.

Proposal submission website: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/

You’re Invited: Stream United Spinal’s 80th Anniversary & History-Making Exoskeleton Demo

 

The SC AT/AAC Think Tank is kicking for the 2026-2027 school year.  The Think Tank meets once a month on Fridays at noon.

Please register to join us using the following link: JOIN AT/AAC Think Tank.

Today's topic is: Moving from AI to AT- Guest Speaker is Bryan Dean from CAST.

Please mark your calendars for the following dates for the remainder of the 26-27 school year:

• October 23- AAC and Challenging Behaviors
•  November 6- AT Evaluation Tools and Toys Smackdown
•  January 8- Academic AT Smackdown
•  February 19- Highlights from AT Conferences (Closing the Gap, ASHA, ATIA, etc.)
•  March 5- AAC Beyond Requesting
•  April 9- AI Smackdown

All sessions will be held from 12:00-1:00pm.

We are looking forward to reconnecting with everyone and diving into another productive year of collaboration.

Best,

    Kirsta, Sharon and Rachell

 

• Dr. Sharon Walters, MA CCC-SLP, PhD | swalters@sdoc.org 
• Dr. Kirsta von Hellens, OTD, M. Ed., OTR/L, ATP | vonhellensk@bcsdschools.net
• Rachell Johnson, MCD., CCC-SLP, ATP, Program Manager, SC Assistive Technology Program |  rachell.johnson@uscmed.sc.edu