CP Research News, Tech Summit Success, Disability Tech Talks and More...

After a successful #STEPtember,?we?have lots of big news this month and our last Disability Tech Talk of the year featuring Cephable TOMORROW on Tuesday, October 24 at 6pm ET. Check it all out so you don’t miss out!?

First Fully International Grant Funded

In honor of World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 6, we proudly announced our first-ever funding of a fully international grant through our partnership with the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM). The $25,000 award will fund a feasibility study to develop a multicenter cerebral palsy registry in Arabic-speaking countries. Learn more about it.

Successful Summit Focuses on Technology and Closing Gaps

Bringing together disabled thought leaders, entrepreneurs, changemakers, and funders, we hosted our second Remarkable Tech Summit to delve into the spaces between disability and innovation, needs and the market, and humans and our environment — all to ultimately make the world a more accessible place for people with cerebral palsy and co-occurring disabilities. Check out this recap from our friends at Remarkable Tech .

CPARF and Partners Make the Rounds

Over the last month, our leaders have shared their expertise at several sessions and conferences around the country.?Molly Levitt, Director of Remarkable US, spoke about the importance of technology as a tool for autonomy and education as a featured speaker at the ninth annual ED Games Expo. This event convened leaders in game-changing educational technology from the Institute of Education Sciences, the US Department of Education, and more.?

At the 77th annual AACPDM of meeting, CPARF and our strategic partner, Cerebral Palsy Research Network (CPRN) , presented in numerous sessions:

• CPARF Executive Director Michael Pearlmutter was a featured panelist at a pre-conference session focused on assistive technology and another pre-conference session focused on creating effective reseach programs.
• CP Research Network CEO Paul Gross facilitated two mini-symposia, with the first focusing on understanding varied approaches for selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR).?Panelists included CP Research Network investigators Bhooma Aravamuthan MD DPhil , MD, DPhil; Jeffrey Leonard, MD; Tom Novacheck , MD; Joyce Oleszek, MD; and Brandon Rocque, MD, MS.
• The second mini-symposia featured network investigator Michael Kruer , MD, and explored how the network’s collaborative resources can advance discovery.?
• Paul led a discussion highlighting how the power of rich data sets, like the one the CP Research Network continues to build, can accelerate discovery and attract the next generation of investigators.
• Several of these investigators presented papers and posters at the meeting, including Elizabeth Boyer, PhD; Cristina Sarmiento, MD; Brandon Rocque, MD; Sruthi Thomas, MD, PhD; Shannon Strader, DO, MS ; and Bhooma Aravamuthan, MD, DPhil.
• Paul and his scientific leadership team, including Bjornson, Kristie , PT, PhD; Mary Gannotti, PT, PhD ; and Brandon Rocque, MD, MS, presented a seminar about how to access the CP Network registries for community research and secondary analysis.
• Several papers and posters that were only possible because of the power of multicenter studies were presented. They included: SDR practice variation analysis by Brandon Rocque, MD, MS.? Botulinum toxin practice variation in North America by Sruthi Thomas, MD, PhD. Multicenter improvement in dystonia detection in people with CP by Bhooma Aravamuthan, MD, DPhil.?

Worth a Watch

Miss a Disability Tech Talk? Head to our YouTube channel to check out our conversations and learn more about Springrose , XR Navigation , Hominid X , and Aurie .

Make Your Voice Heard at Remarkable Roundtables

We’re continuing to host roundtable discussions to get your feedback on disability technology products! Whether you’ve got a disability or you care for or treat someone who does, we want your input on assistive tech, accessibility, design, and more. Take a short survey and let us know you’re interested in engaging with us this way.

So much is happening at CPARF and it can only happen with your support. Give today to make double the impact?and keep an eye on our feed for more updates!

Thanks for changing what’s possible with us,

The CPARF Team