Cornell Tech And Roosevelt Island's Coler Rehab Hospital Collaborate Seeking Ways To Help Disabled Community With Innovative Technology Solutions

As previously reported, during the January 25 Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Construction & Community Task Force quarterly meeting, Cornell Tech Assistant Director Of Government Affairs and Community Relations Jane Swanson described:

... an upcoming round table discussion between Cornell Tech and Roosevelt Island's Coler Hospital staff and patients to discuss how mobile technology can improve life of disabled population using mobile and wearable devices.....

According to the Cornell Task Force minutes of the January 25 meeting:

... This event will include Cornell Tech students and faculty along with Coler clinical staff, patients, and hospital leadership; Cornell Tech and Coler will share their missions, programs and operations and explore the nature of each other’s work, with a particular focus on how they each view the role of technology in improving the lives of the disabled. Finally, and most importantly, they will engage in a discussion as to how the lives of people with disabilities might be improved through the creation of new technologies

The Cornell Tech

 Image of Cornell Tech Campus Construction Seen From Queensboro Bridge From 1/25 Presentation

 and Coler Hospital

 Image of Coler Hospital from NYC Health & Hospitals Corp

Round Table took place on February 4. Ms. Swanson reports on what happened:

The Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center and Cornell Tech Round Table is a first-step towards new collaborations for Cornell Tech and the hospital. The discussion amongst faculty, students, and Coler staff allowed everyone to learn about each other’s resources and needs.

The workshop included presentations by Cornell Tech and Cornell University professors and students whose research relates to helping those living with disabilities.

Dr. Shiri Azenkot, who directs the Enhancing Ability Lab at Cornell Tech, shared updates on her current research. One of her students is developing Pallette, a device that allows people with quadriplegia to better control their environments. Another student is developing smart glasses to improve sight for people with low vision.

Dr. Susanne M. Bruyère, the Director of Cornell University’s Institute on Employment and Disability, discussed her experience researching and working to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

Leadership and staff at Coler also presented on the valuable resources and technology already at the hospital, and provided key insights into the hospital’s current needs. Floyd Long, Acting CEO of Coler Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, provided a key overview of Coler’s current operations and expressed excitement about this potential collaboration. Members of his staff shared videos and models of the technology available to improve their patients daily lives and foster rehabilitation.

Cornell Tech is excited to explore the many ways it can engage with groups on Roosevelt Island. The meeting with Coler is a first meeting step towards collaborating on the important issue of disabilities. 

Reported in July 2015 about Pallette::

...A team of current Cornell Tech Connective Media students have been busy developing a wireless technology called Pallette that may eventually help quadriplegic patients at Roosevelt Island's Coler Goldwater Hospital and elsewhere perform everyday activities in an independent manner using a tongue controlled device.

and in October 2015, the student developers of Pallette made the following presentation to the Roosevelt Island Cornell Tech Construction & Community Task Force.







More about Pallette.