The Research Roadshow continues to pave the way by bridging the gap of unequal access to technology among older adults and encouraging individuals to try using technological devices they are unfamiliar with.  

In 2021, CU's Multidisciplinary Center on Aging led the effort for CU Anschutz Medical Campus to become the fourth biomedical research institution in the world to achieve the designation as an Age-Friendly University. As part of this initiative, they launched traveling Research Roadshows. The goal of the roadshows is to engage older adults from geographically and culturally diverse communities to increase recruitment and retention of older adults in clinical trials. They hold one roadshow per quarter designed to reach older adults and their families in communities throughout Colorado.

One example of the kind of activity seen on a roadshow is testing assistive devices and technologies. Thanks to a partnership with the Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering, Research Roadshow participants can attend usability testing sessions on new assistive technologies. The roadshow attendees are encouraged to try products and devices under development by the research teams. This allows attendees to influence the development of products that can improve their own lives or the lives of those they know. These sessions draw the connection between how participants’ insights can inform the development of products so that they are more useful and beneficial to older adults. During these sessions, participation by older adults from diverse backgrounds is prioritized to collect the best data possible.

One other example of a Research Roadshow activity is bridging the digital divide of unequal access to technology among older adults. This digital divide is a social determinant to health and research participation. To address the divide, the roadshows offer computer literacy workshops designed specifically for older adult adults. These skill-building workshops are designed to improve computer literacy and promote access to information regarding clinical research. Workshop participants are able to practice navigating the new ADA-compliant CU Anschutz research studies website. This allows them to access information about research findings of interest and opportunities to participate in CU Anschutz clinical trials.

The Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering has partnered with the Colorado Department of Education for over 25 years to provide assistive technology (AT) support to professionals in Colorado K-12 public schools. There are over 100,000 Colorado students with Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and over 400 SWAAAC team members ensuring students who require AT devices and services have what they need to access their education. That is a tall order Colorado! So, the SWAAAC program has assembled a gourmet menu of services, supports, and resources that can all be accessed from the SWAAAC.org website. Here are just a few popular selections from the menu:

SWAAAC Events

• Monthly webinars
• Workshops
• Conference for Assistive Technology and Education 2024

SWAAAC Foundations Learning Guide (for those just getting started in Educational AT)

• AT and the IEP
• AT Assessment
• Implementing AT in the Classroom
• AT and Transition
• Accessible Educational Materials

SWAAAC YouTube Channel for recordings of recent trainings

Browse the AT Loan Library Catalog

• To learn about AT devices and view curated demonstration videos
• Checkout the library of adapted digital books available to everyone
• Download a collection of assessment tools and protocols

SWAAAC on Facebook and Instagram

Contact Us

• Find your local school district or (the Board of Cooperative Educational Services) BOCES SWAAAC Team Coordinator
• Call or email the central office for technical assistance  and all things SWAAAC

The Assistive Technology Program of Colorado, a project of the Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering (CIDE) at the University of Colorado Denver, can help individuals with disabilities lead more independent lives through the use of Assistive Technology (AT). The CIDE team works together with stakeholders throughout Colorado to provide AT information and assistance to individuals with disabilities, seniors, and their service providers. AT devices can make an incredible impact on the lives of users and their caretakers. CIDE wants to ensure these devices remain accessible despite someone’s financial status. Two resources, described below, are now available to help individuals with disabilities and their families and providers find (and fund) AT devices and services. 

The CIDE AT Funding Sources is a searchable database to help identify potential funding sources. Once a potential funding source is identified, the site directs users to more information and instructions on how to apply for funding. The CIDE AT Funding Sources Flyer (PDF) provides more information and instructions on how to utilize the database.

The CIDE AT Exchange is an online tool and resource that assists individuals and organizations in obtaining used AT devices or equipment for little or no cost. Users can also post equipment no longer needed to the site. This service allows users to search posted items available within Colorado. Any devices or equipment obtained from AT Exchange should be based on a professional evaluation and recommendation from an Assistive Technology Specialist to ensure proper usage and fit. The  CIDE AT Exchange Flyer (PDF) provides directions on how to find affordable assistive technology solutions. Follow the step-by-step instructions in the flyer for more assistance.  Please help us get the word out and share this information with the community!

Without an AAC device, this little one didn't have a way to participate in conversations with her peers at preschool. After some practice using the Accent 800 with Empower and NuVoice (Bilingual) from the loan library, she used the device to tell her classmates that her favorite color is blue while they were creating art projects together!

Children with developmental delays or disabilities often have difficulty playing and interacting with the world around them. AT provides them with opportunities to be active participants in life rather than passive observers. Check out our success stories to see AT in action with our little ones!

The Tech for Tykes program includes numerous resources and educational opportunities for Early Intervention (EI) providers and their families, including…

• Access to the AT Loan Library, including over 1,200 devices
• Training & Technical Assistance for AT Consultants, EI providers, Part C Service Coordinators, and families of children receiving Part C services
• Resources and information about AT for children under age 3

View our 22-23 Performance Summary Infographic PDF to see the significant impacts made by Tech for Tykes in the past year, including…

• 553 AT devices borrowed
• Over $392,000 of cost savings for those who decided not to purchase devices after trial
• 2 new YouTube video tutorials on Switch Access and AAC Funding
• Loan library access established for south central CO
• Record-breaking numbers of new and active AT Consultants
• Record-breaking numbers of website visits and Facebook followers

We were hard at work this summer taking inventory of our entire AT Loan Library! This process helps to ensure our items are up to date and ready to be used by our AT Consultants and young children with disabilities.

Data from the first three cohorts of the Colorado Early Learning: Universal Design & Inclusion Project is now available in this Impact Report.

As a reminder, this is a cohort-model project to support licensed childcare providers in learning how to adapt materials and ensure learning environments are universally designed to better meet the needs of all children, including those with delays or disabilities. 

SIP: Surviving in Place

Let us help you be prepared for emergencies!  

Attention Colorado Medicaid members: The Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering is now accepting applications for Emergency Go-Kits! An Emergency Go Kit is a collection of essential items you can quickly grab and take with you in an emergency or evacuation. You will have all your necessary supplies in one place for easy access. This program ended in September of 2024. Visit our website to learn more about emergency preparedness.

If you are on Colorado Medicaid and use life-sustaining medical equipment, you may be eligible to receive a battery backup system to keep your devices running during emergencies. (This program concluded in September 2024).  

Jacob is a 28-year-old young man with cerebral palsy who has been receiving services at our specialty clinic for his complex wheelchair needs since he was 12 years old. Jacob has limited control of his movements, and a comfortable wheelchair that supports his complex body in good alignment is critical to his overall health and quality of life. This can be challenging because Jacob presents with severe collapsing scoliosis, abnormal muscle tone, and dystonic movement patterns while sitting in his wheelchair. Due to these complex problems, it has sometimes been challenging to meet our goal of comfort and maximum skeletal alignment in his wheelchair as his body has grown and changed. 


Our expert clinicians keep up with emerging technologies, and Kelly Waugh, PT – Jacob's clinician at CIDE – introduced him to a new product from New Zealand in 2018 that provided an alternative to the traditional custom molded back supports that he had used for many years (which he found uncomfortable). Recently, Sofia Bello, PT, clinical consultant for Medifab, the New Zealand company whose product Jacob was using, was visiting our clinic, and Ms. Waugh arranged for her to meet Jacob. Over two sessions, Ms. Bello assisted Ms. Waugh in problem-solving to optimize adjustments to Jacob's seating, which improved his postural alignment. She also provided Jacob with a new custom seating cushion fitted to his unique body needs for an extended trial. Jacob and his family are incredibly grateful for the opportunities that the CIDE clinic has provided for him to continuously find ways to improve his wheelchair sitting posture, comfort, and function

Caption: CIDE clinic superstar Jacob is helped by his clinician, Kelly Waugh, PT, to navigate his new wheelchair. Now, he can sit and move around in his wheelchair with better posture and be comfortable.

The Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering is growing! With new projects and initiatives underway, CIDE is excited to welcome two new employees!

Featuring our newest employees

Leslie Emery

Leslie is a Project Manager working for CIDE and the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities. She has a bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from CU Denver/Anschutz. She is passionate about helping others and has a decade of experience working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Leslie loves combining her technical knowledge and organizational skills to manage projects and ensure they meet timelines and deliverables. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting with her family and exploring Denver’s kid-friendly activities.

Zack Hersh

Zack is thrilled to be one of our newest employees to join the CIDE team. For the past few months, Zack has been working on the Shelter in Place project — getting backup batteries and emergency go-kits to Colorado Medicaid members. A Denver transplant from Philadelphia for over 3 years now, Zack enjoys skiing, frisbee, climbing, and seeing live music in his free time.