July 15, 2005

Contact for Journalists/Media Only:
Jennifer Berman
212-404-3555
Jennifer.berman@med.nyu.edu
For More Program Information:
www.ruskinstitute.org

The Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and Microsoft Convene Expert Panel on Accessible Technology for Americans with Disabilities

Mathew H.M. Lee, M.D., Chairman Rusk Institute

NEW YORK, July 13, 2005 – The Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and Microsoft Corporation have teamed up to educate the medical community about the importance of incorporating accessible technology into the rehabilitation process to help patients with disabilities return to the workforce and be more productive and competitive in their jobs.

The forum, “Innovations for a Healthy Workforce,” took place at NYU Medical Center. A panel of medical and technology experts discussed workplace issues confronting people with physical and sensory disabilities, which are caused by injury, disease or aging, with a specific focus on ways that accessible technology can help mitigate these issues.

“We are committed to helping patients overcome their disabilities and have found that rehab therapy plays an essential role in enabling many of our patients to return to the workforce,” said Mathew H. M. Lee, MD, the Howard A. Rusk Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University School of Medicine and Medical Director of the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine. “Enabling our patients to use computers for both work and to communicate with friends and family provides them with the incentive to train with rehab professionals to overcome their physical disabilities.”

Herb Zaretsky,Ph.D., Rusk Institute, Bill Crounse, M.D., Microsoft, Mathew H.M. Lee, M.D., Rusk Institute

The inability to operate computer technology can put workers of any age at a disadvantage and may hinder career advancement or lead to unemployment, whether these individuals are recent college graduates looking for a job, wounded soldiers returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, or aging baby boomers trying to stay competitive in today’s workforce.

In today’s economy, computers are essential for many businesses, and are a mainstay of personal and professional life around the world. Among working-age adults in the United States, 78 percent use computers—68 percent at home and 45 percent at work. With nearly 60 percent of the workforce experiencing some level of disability or impairment due to chronic ailments (e.g., vision loss, carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis) or serious injury, using a computer can be challenging for many people.

from left to right: Herb Zaretsky,Ph.D.,Rusk Institute, Bill Kilroy, Freedom Scientific, Bill Crounse, M.D., Microsoft, Mark A.Young,M.D.,Maryland Rehabilitation Center, Stanley F. Wainaple,M.D., Montefiore Medical Center, Steve Stiens, M.D., Washington State Veteran's Hospital, Mathew H.M. Lee, M.D., Rusk Institute, Valerie Matthews, ScanSoft Inc.

• Mathew H. M. Lee, MD, Howard A. Rusk Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University School of Medicine and Medical Director, Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine
• Bill Crounse, MD, Global Health Care Industry Manager, Microsoft Corporation
• Mark A. Young MD, MBA, FACP, Chair, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Maryland Rehabilitation Institute
• Steve Stiens, MS, MD, Associate Professor, University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician with the VA Puget Sound Health Care System’s Spinal Cord Injury Service
• Stanley F. Wainapel, MD, M.P.H., Clinical Director, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center and Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

About Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine
The Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, an integral component of New York University Medical Center, is the world's first facility devoted entirely to rehabilitation medicine. Founded in 1948 by Dr. Howard A. Rusk, the Rusk Institute is the largest university-affiliated center for the treatment of adults and children with disabilities, as well as for research and training in rehabilitation medicine. For more information, please visit www.ruskinstitute.org

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