Faculty members on the pediatric team in Wichita State’s Department of Physical Therapy have been awarded a prestigious grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s 2024 Priority Impact Quality of Life grants program. The $35,000 grant will provide access to assistive technology to help students in public schools with physical disabilities.  

The grant will provide the following: 

• Assistive technology equipment  
• Training and resources for physical therapists and school clinicians  
• Funding for the development of training modules on how to use the equipment  
• Resources to develop a website to guide therapists on how to obtain and efficiently utilize assistive technologies 

Dr. Jennifer James, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and a board certified pediatric clinical specialist, emphasized the grant’s major impact on students with physical challenges and the broader community of educators and clinicians. 

The grant will provide resources to help students in rural Kansas use equipment to participate in school-day activities with their peers while also building strength and independence. 

“We are excited for the impact it will have on students, educators and clinicians who will benefit from access to equipment and training in the classroom,” James says. 

In addition to benefiting students in rural Kansas, the grant provides valuable hands-on learning opportunities for Wichita State’s Physical Therapy students. Students will gain exposure to assistive devices during class activities, participate in shadowing and clinical rotations at program sites, and contribute to the development of training modules for clinicians across Kansas.  

The grant represents a significant step forward as Wichita State strengthens its capacity and statewide outreach in rehabilitation medicine. This initiative also aligns with the mission of the university’s new Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Assistive Technology (IRMAT), a collaborative effort focused on addressing disease and disability through applied research and technology development. Several faculty members from the Departments of Physical Therapy and Biomedical Engineering are members of the IRMAT team and integral to the Institute’s development.  

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