Mobility Aid

Celebrating Our Research Trainees at the 2025 UW Undergraduate Research Symposium

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The University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium is an annual, day-long celebration of undergraduate achievement in research, scholarship, and creative expression. This year, we are proud to highlight the outstanding contributions of our lab’s research trainees who shared their innovative work with the broader academic community.

Alisha Bose delivered a compelling podium presentation titled “How Does Clinical Presentation Impact Gameplay in Early Intervention?” Her research explores how different clinical profiles may influence the way children engage with therapeutic play, contributing valuable insights to the field of accessible design.

Katie Leija presented a poster on “Impact of Powered Mobility Device Seat Design on a Young Child’s Exploration,” examining how adaptive seating affects mobility and interaction in young children using powered mobility devices.

Spencer Hensley shared his work through a poster presentation titled “Effects of Mobility Aids on Muscle Activity in Kids with DS,” which investigates how different mobility aids influence muscle engagement during play in children with Down syndrome.

We are incredibly proud of Alisha, Spencer, and Katie for their dedication and creativity. Their projects reflect the core mission of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab—engineering to enhance human mobility, play, and exploration. Through their work, they are helping to advance inclusive design and accessible technology that empowers individuals of all abilities.

  • A person stands at a podium giving a presentation. Behind them, a large screen displays the title slide: “HOW DOES CLINICAL PRESENTATION IMPACT GAMEPLAY IN EARLY INTERVENTION?” by Alisha Bose.
  • A person stands next to a research poster titled “Impact of Powered Mobility Device Seat Design on a Young Child's Exploration,” featuring the University of Washington logo.
  • A person stands beside a scientific poster titled “Effects of Mobility Aids on Muscle Activity in Kids with DS.”

Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab presents at RehabWeek 2025

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Members of the Neuromechanics and Mobility Lab has a busy week attending the 2025 Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Conference, held as part of RehabWeek 2025 from May 12-16 in Chicago, IL.

RehabWeek is a premier, week-long event that brings together multiple conferences in the field of rehabilitation technology. It fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration and innovation among researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals. Our lab was proud to be part of this vibrant community, with several members presenting their research and contributing to the ongoing dialogue on the future of rehabilitation science.

Two of our PhD students, Mia Hoffman and Madeleine McCreary, participated in the RESNA Student Scientific Paper Competition and presented their work during the Student Scientific Paper Platform session. Mia presented her research titled “Measuring Early Intervention Providers’ Use of a Novel Switch-Accessible Play Kit,” while Maddie shared findings from our lab’s Early Mobility & Play research in her talk, “Kicking it off: Do toddlers with disabilities activate leg muscles when driving with a joystick?”

Mia Hoffman also led a session on Play and Recreation in Assistive Technology titled “Switch It Up: From Adapted Toys to Therapeutic Gaming.”

Alexandra (Sasha) Portnova-Fahreeva presented a poster titled “Evaluating the Effects of Noninvasive Spinal Stimulation on Gait Parameters in Cerebral Palsy via Markerless Motion Capture” sharing findings from our lab’s Spinal Neuromodulation research. She also participated in the RESNA Student Design Challenge with her project, “H.A.T. – A Camera-Based Finger Range-of-Motion Hand Assessment Tool to Enhance Therapy Practices” where she and her team received honorable mention.

Katie Landwehr-Prakel presented a poster on “Cardiovascular Load of Using a Walker-Based Exoskeleton in Children with Cerebral Palsy,” and placed in the top 10 of the Fast Forward Poster Competition.

We are especially proud to share that Mia Hoffman was awarded 1st place and Madeleine McCreary received 2nd place in the Student Scientific Paper Competition. Congratulations to both for their outstanding work and well-deserved recognition.

We’re incredibly proud of our team’s contributions and accomplishments at RehabWeek 2025!

Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab Presents at NWBS 2025

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Members of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab traveled to Vancouver, BC for the 2025 Northwest Biomechanics Symposium (NWBS) May 2-3 hosted by the University of British Columbia. The Northwest Biomechanics Symposium is a student-friendly conference and incorporates research labs from all of the Northwest, including Canada.

Ally Clarke and Madeleine McCreary gave podium presentations at the conference in Vancouver. Mia Hoffman, Alisha Bose, and Katie Landwehr-Prakel each gave a poster presentation.

A special congratulations to Ally Clarke and Madeleine McCreary for receiving the Honorable Mention Award and Best Podium Award, respectively, in the PhD category.

We are looking forward to NWBS 2026 in Bozeman, MT!

UW CREATE Presents at the UWFB Meeting Spring 2024

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The Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) presented at the University of Washington Foundation Board Meeting Spring 2024.

A group of people on a stage

Kat Steele, Associate Director of CREATE introduced the impact of the center over its first 5 years and trainees, including former CREATE postdoc Kim Ingraham, present our research on the impact of access to early powered mobility at the board meeting. Check out the presentation (starting at 59 minutes, link to video on YouTube HERE ).

During the Cocktail Hour Showcase, Heather Feldner and Mia Hoffman also shared their work with HuskyADAPT and the development of accessible design and play technology.

As highlighted through these presentations, CREATE’s mission is to make technology accessible and to make the world accessible through technology.

A person standing next to a table

NL Zaino, Z McKee, CD Caskey, KM Steele, HA Feldner (2024) “Perceptions and experiences of first mobility aid provision for young children with cerebral palsy in the United States: a mixed-methods study”

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Journal Article in Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology 

This research provides insights into the lived experiences of clinicians and caregivers of young children with CP regarding the prescription, provision, use and impact of first mobility aids, specifically ankle foot orthoses and walkers/gait trainers.

Caregiver views of impact of first orthoses (n = 8) and walkers (n = 4). Proportional bar graph depicting caregiver perceptions on the impacts of their child’s ankle foot orthoses and/or walkers on various activities.Aim: The purpose of this study was to establish and understand the provision process and impacts of first mobility aids for children with cerebral palsy (CP) in the United States – specifically orthoses, walkers and gait-trainers.

Methods: We performed a mixed-methods study including surveys and semi-structured interviews of caregivers of young children with CP (n = 10) and clinicians who work with young children with CP (n = 29). We used content analysis for the surveys and inductive coding for the interviews.

Results: Four themes emerged: (1) first mobility aids have mixed impacts and use patterns, (2) there is varied caregiver education and understanding about mobility aids, (3) clinician knowledge, consistency and connection impact care and (4) numerous access barriers exist for families, and there are still opportunities for improvement across all domains.

Interpretation: This study not only provides researchers and clinicians with an understanding of the current status of the prescription and provision process in the United States, but also offers suggestions for improvements of the process and mobility aids themselves. These results have implications for future research, mobility aid, design and the provision process of first mobility aids.