Forum Proceedings

Frank DeRuyter, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
AAC-RERC
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina

Dear T²RERC,
The RERC on Communication Enhancement (AAC-RERC) and the AAC community has been very fortunate to have had the unique opportunity to be one of your demand-pull technology transfer projects over the past year. To have a collaborative partnership with your T²RERC to facilitate the introduction of new and innovative technology and products into the augmentative communication marketplace has been huge.

This opportunity has been a first for the AAC community and all of its stakeholders and will clearly be instrumental in moving the field of AAC into its next generation. The tangible benefits of this endeavor are many and will be recognized on many levels for years to come. These will positively impact the AAC research and engineering community, the AAC service delivery community, the NIDRR community, and most importantly the AAC consumer and end-user community.

In my estimation, AAC end-user/consumer involvement was unprecedented through the on-line web-based panels, the face-to-face panels on both coasts, and the stakeholder forum. In each instance, AAC end-users were provided information and scripts in advance as well as contacted after each event to solicit additional follow-up information. This afforded numerous opportunities for end-users to be active participants throughout the entire process.

From a research perspective, the demand-pull project will have a significant impact. The opportunity to have the leading researchers in the AAC field interacting alongside those in peripherally related manufacturing and technology-related fields was remarkable. The ability to discuss critical issues in AAC, the different perspectives from the various participants, and the networking will all greatly influence the future of new and innovative AAC technology and products. It was also obvious that many tangible outcomes will be noted within the service delivery community. The ability of clinicians to interact and influence the direction of future product development in the private sector and the research community was a frequent comment that was overheard. The direct consumer benefit of this collaboration is obvious.

Finally, the Communication Enhancement Demand-Pull project was consistent with the scope and mission of the RERC program within NIDRR. This project was collaboration between two RERC's that provided for high levels of consumer involvement in the process of implementing a technology transfer program.

On behalf of all the partners of the AAC-RERC, we were honored to have been part of this project and enthusiastically look forward to the next stages of locating and transferring new AAC technology and product solutions. Thank you to all of the T²RERC project staff for an outstanding job.

Sincerely yours,

Frank DeRuyter, PhD

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