News
New Student Orientation
September 5th, 2007
On Sept. 4th, CanAssist participated in the Engineering Student Orientation that was held at the lobby of the Engineering Lab Wing. CanAssist was one of many booths that had interactive displays and demonstrations to welcome the new students to the department of Engineering and Computer Science. CanAssist would like to thank the department of Engineering and Computer Science for allowing us to join their wonderful event.
IDC Invention Competition 2007
August 21st, 2007
We would like to congratulate CanAssist team members, Phil Zeman (right) and Sunny Mahajan, for receiving first prize at the Innovation and Development Corporation (IDC) Invention Competition. More than a hundred participants from all over the island joined the competition. Phil and Sunny won first prize in the software category for the improvement to the diagnosis of brain disorders based on EEG data. They were also nominated for the "People's Choice" Award.
Congratulations Phil and Sunny!
New Team member
August 8th, 2007
We would like to welcome Foad Hamidi to the CanAssist team.
Joining us from Toronto, Foad graduated from York University with a masters in Computer Science. Foad will be helping CanAssist develop a speech-activated interface for browsing the Internet.
Ministers' Funding Announcement
July 16th, 2007
UVATT is excited to announce that the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance and the Ministry of Children and Family Development have awarded UVATT with a grant to support its activities and programs. Four ministers—Hon. Claude Richmond, Hon. Tom Christensen, Hon. Murray Coell, and Hon. Ida Chong—announced this grant at a special event held at the University Club. We would like to thank the Provincial government for recognizing us as an important service to the community and for supporting our programs. We would also like to thank all our supporters who came and joined us in the celebration.
Indigenous Student Mini-University Summer Camp
July 11th, 2007UVATT will be giving a presentation to the Indigenous Student Mini-University Summer Camp on July 11th 2007. In this summer camp, Indigenous students in Grades 8 through 11 are given a taste of university life. UVATT would like to thank the summer camp for their interest in our activities.
Mobile Floor Sitter
June 30th, 2007
UVATT researcher, Ryan Truant, recently delivered a Mobile Floor Sitter to a little girl with familial peripheral neuropathy. This condition affects the little girl’s upper body movement and requires her to use a ventilator to breathe. Until recently, she has been sitting on the fold-down foot pedals of a wheelchair and using her legs to push herself around. This was not an effective way for her to move so UVATT developed the Mobile Floor Sitter. This Sitter was designed low enough for her feet to touch the ground and to store her ventilator. The front wheels were made with casters (found on office chairs and shopping carts) for easy maneuverability and the frame is able to expand with the client as she grows. The steel frame was painted bright red—the client’s favorite color—for a personal touch.
Office of Community-Based Research (OCBR)
June 19th, 2007UVATT would like to thank the Office of Community Based Research (OCBR) for inviting us to their exciting launch. Based at UVic, the OCBR will be creating and supporting research partnerships between the community and the university faculty and students.
Kardel Consulting Services Inc.
June 7th, 2007UVATT recently did a presentation for Kardel Consulting Services Inc. Kardel Consulting provides programs for people with developmental disabilities, improving their quality of life by organizing community outings and other activities. We would like to thank Kardel Consulting for their interest in UVATT’s activities and for inviting us to their office.
Thank You McAdams Foundation
May 25th, 2007
Many thanks to the McAdams Foundation for generously donating to UVATT again. We appreciate your continued support and your confidence in our programs. Previously, the Foundation provided funds for UVATT’s "Just for Kicks" soccer program. The Foundation has been helping individuals and institutions since 1992 and we are very grateful for their support.
UVATT at the Community Living Victoria Resource Fair
May 15th, 2007We are proud to announce that Community Living Victoria invited UVATT to join in its Resource Fair. This information fair is an opportunity for families and individuals to learn about supports and services for transitioning youth and adults who live with developmental disabilities.
We displayed some of our latest technologies and devices, as well as a general overview of our services. A number of staff were on hand to answer questions and demonstrate our devices.
Thank You Ronald McDonald House Charities
April 20th, 2007
Everyone at UVATT would like to thank Ronald McDonald House Charities for generously donating to our organization. Since 1982, Ronald McDonald House Charities has been helping children with serious illnesses or disabilities lead happier and healthier lives. Thank you Ronald McDonald House Charities for recognizing us as an important service to the community!
Innovations Expo
April 16th, 2007UVATT will be participating in the Innovations Expo 2007, an event sponsored by Burnaby Association for Community Living, Community Living BC, Richmond Society for Community Living and the Southern Okanagan Association for Integrated Community Living. This event will be an open forum of discussion (in trade show format) in which social services organizations and other community groups demonstrate or showcase an innovation project or program. For more details on this event, click here
New Team Members
April 10th, 2007We would like welcome the two newest members to the UVATT team.
Chris Newcombe, a microbiology major, will be working on user testing and data analysis. Chris has volunteered for UVATT since February 2006 and has been hired to work full time this summer.
Shawn Fisher, an electrical engineering co-op student will be joining the team and working on a variety of technologies including the Wireless Wearable Motion Sensor project.
MECH 350 – Final Design Presentations
April 5th, 2007Every year, students from Dr. Afzal Suleman’s mechanical engineering (MEC350) class design mechanical devices to assist people with disabilities as their final projects. This year, another 8 groups of students took on UVATT projects and worked with clients in creating designs and prototypes for their final presentations. UVATT would like to thank all the students for their ingenuity and hard work.
Student Group Projects Include:
- Wheelchair Hockey Stick Design
- Wheelchair Docking Mechanism
- Motor Mount for Eye-Tracking Camera
- Wheelchair Boccia Ball Apparatus
- Gong Striking Device
- Ankle Foot Orthosis
- Wheelchair Attachable Dog Ball Launcher
- Saddle Seat Wheelchair
Engaging Disability 2007: Public Lecture
March 23rd, 2007Nigel Livingston, Director of UVATT will be giving a public lecture on "Addressing the Needs and Challenges of those with Disabilities: A Unique
Approach", sponsored by Engaging Disability 2007. Engaging Disability 2007 (ED) is a disability institute that gathers community members, community organizations, government employees, students and university faculty to think about, discuss, learn and re-vision the meaning of disability.
Event Details:
Title: Addressing the Needs and Challenges of those with Disabilities: A Unique
Approach
Presenter: Dr. Nigel Livingston - University of Victoria, Victoria BC
Date: Monday, March 26
Time: 7:00 to 8:30 PM
Location: University Centre Senate Chambers Room A180, University of Victoria
Work Experience Student from Oak Bay
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UVATT has taken on several work experience students from various high schools over the years. This year, Ben Groom from Oak Bay high school spent his Spring Break working with various UVATT researchers on laser pointer communication systems and other projects for people with special needs.
Canada-Europe eInclusion Symposium
March 20th, 2007
On March 15th, UVATT researcher Dave Marotto presented at the Canada-Europe eInclusion Symposium in Montreal on the "Tools and Services that Provide Greater Computer Access to those with Disabilities". This Symposium was organized by the E-Inclusion Research Network, an organization whose goal is to create powerful audio-video tools that will allow multi-media content producers to improve the richness of the multi-media experience for the blind, the deaf, the hard of hearing, and the hard of seeing.
McAdams Foundation supports the Just for Kicks Soccer Program
March 19th, 2007
Another fun and successful year has past for the Just for Kicks soccer program, thanks to supporters such as the McAdams Foundation. The McAdams Foundation recently made a donation to UVATT for the purchase of additional equipment and supplies for the Just for Kicks soccer program. The Just for Kicks soccer program will start again in September 2007 and new volunteers are encouraged to join. For more information on this program,
click here.
Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies
March 10th, 2007
Leo Spalteholz, a graduate student with UVATT recently presented his paper discussing a new approach to making the web accessible for those with severe physical disabilities. The paper, entitled "Efficient Navigation on the World Wide Web for the Physically Disabled" discusses our proposed system which allows users to navigate web pages without requiring the ability to control a computer mouse. This presentation was given during the 3rd International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies in Barcelona, Spain.
For more information about this topic, please contact Leo.
Donation from the Chilliwack Foundation
February 15th, 2007We would like to thank the Chilliwack Foundation for their recent donation to UVATT in support of the development of communication devices. Incorporated in 1985, the Chilliwack Foundation is a non-profit organization designed to promote charitable, educational and cultural interests within the community.
Student Development Conference
January 31st, 2007
On Saturday, January 28th, the UVATT team participated in the Networking Market and Information Fair at the University of Victoria 2007 Student Development Conference http://stas.uvic.ca/leading/. This conference was designed to provide professional development for student leaders while giving students across campus a chance to meet. Every year hundreds of UVic students participate in volunteer programs and initiatives.
MBA Students Present UVATT Market Opportunities
January 10th, 2007
When it comes to a business problem, who better to ask than the bright MBA students at the University of Victoria? On Saturday, January 6th, 2007, nine groups of MBA students presented their business plans for bringing many of UVATTs technologies to a variety of markets, both inside and outside of the healthcare sector. An award was presented to the group with the most outstanding proposal based on creativity, presentation and feasibility. These presentations were given as part of the MBA program's Integrative Management Exercises (IME) - a program designed to give first year MBA students an opportunity to use skills learned in the classroom in the fall semester on an actual problem.
Donation from Shaw Communications
January 3rd, 2007
We are delighted to announce that Shaw Communications Inc. has made a generous donation in support of UVATTs efforts to develop and provide technology to people with extremely severe disabilities. This gift was presented to UVATT during a project display on December 19th, 2006.
Director Nigel Livingston appointed to the B.C. Minister's Council
January 1st, 2007We are delighted to announce that UVATT director, Nigel Livingston, has been appointed to the Minister's Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities. The Minister's Council was established as a partnership between government, business, education, community-based organizations and persons with disabilities. The aim of this council is to increase the employment, employability and independence of persons with disabilities.