Jessica Owen is a participant in one of the Center for Neurotechnology’s transcutaneous spinal stimulation studies, which is groundbreaking research aimed at noninvasively improving upper body function for people with spinal cord injury. Owen has discovered that gradual functional improvements she gained through her participation in the study have added up to a big difference in her quality of life, leading to increased independence.

Nationally-known disability rights leader, John Kemp, spoke at the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) last month. He emphasized the importance of building awareness of disability perspectives and keeping both wants and needs of technology end-users firmly in mind throughout the device design and development process.

Today, when realistic-looking prosthetic hands with articulating fingers are becoming more widely available, one of the first things many people notice about John Kemp is that he chooses to use prosthetic metal clamps instead of hands.

“These don’t look functional,” Kemp said, holding up his clamps. “They’re highly functional. I wear these all day. I need function. I need reliable and durable equipment.”