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Supporting groundbreaking research to assist the disabled

By The Partnership for Public Service

Ted Conway is on a mission to improve the lives of persons with disabilities.

As an experienced engineer and an individual living with cerebral palsy, Conway is using his position at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund groundbreaking research aimed at developing new technologies, devices and software that will assist persons with disabilities and help them be fully functioning members of society.

With an annual budget of about $4.5 million, Conway’s General & Age Related Disabilities Engineering Program funds between 20 and 30 projects a year that hold the promise of making advances beyond the frontiers of current knowledge in disability-related research.

Conway said some of the research and technology may be complex, but his purpose is quite simple.

“My goal is fixing or minimizing the effect of a disability by developing technologies so that persons with disabilities can function at a higher level,” said Conway.

One project supported by Conway involves a team of engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology that has developed a wireless technology that can convert a user’s tongue motions to specific commands, such as moving a mouse cursor or a powered wheelchair.

At California State Polytechnic University, Conway’s program has funded researchers who have developed a robotic system to improve the eye-hand coordination and grip strength in children diagnosed with poor motor skills. Another project at Virginia Commonwealth University involves development of a display of texture enhanced graphics for individuals who are visually impaired.

John McGrath, Conway’s supervisor, said his colleague has expanded the program to explore the problems of the aged who face decline and disability issues. McGrath said Conway also has examined the research taking place internationally to gain insights and new perspectives that will enhance the work in the United States.

In addition, McGrath said Conway has engaged the disability community in several ways, including looking to provide research funding to engineers and scientists with disabilities who are doing cutting-edge work in the field.

“He feels that persons with disabilities live with difficult challenges on a day-to-day basis, requiring persistence and problem-solving skills that offer added value,” said McGrath.

He said Conway is making sure that persons with disabilities are part of the peer review process in order to lend their unique insights when the NSF program awards research grants and he is looking for proposals that will provide assistive technologies to help scientists with disabilities do their work.

In December 2009, Conway led an American Association for the Advancement of Science workshop for engineers with disabilities to gather and discuss their unique, successful approaches overcoming physical, sensory, communication and attitudinal roadblocks. They shared strategies and tools that help individuals with early onset or acquired disabilities overcome barriers to establishing an engineering career.

As a result of his support of critical technology projects, his insistence on having engineers with disabilities serve as members of his review panels and his focus on helping engineers and scientists with disabilities, Conway was recognized last year by “CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine” as one of its “Employees of the Year” for his professional and advocacy efforts on behalf of people with disabilities.

This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washington.com. Go towww.servicetoamericamedals.org/nominate to nominate a federal employee for a Service to America Medal and http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/fed-player to read about other federal workers who are making a difference.