Center for Innovative Design and Engineering

If you rely on an oxygen concentrator, CPAP, powered wheelchair, or other technology, do you have a plan for when the power goes out?
A battery backup is a great start. But step one is knowing how much power your equipment actually needs. Try our free calculator: https://www.ucdenver.edu/center-for-innovative-design-and-engineering/community-engagement/emergency-preparedness-services-new/surviving-in-place/backup-power-options/power-calculator

1 in 4 U.S. adults — about 61 million people — live with a disability.

Many of them rely on assistive technology to work, learn, communicate, and live independently. But building that technology well takes people who understand both the engineering and the person using it.

CU Denver's Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology & Inclusive Engineering is a program for exactly those people. Engineers and clinicians, learning together.

15 credits. Stackable with an MS in Biomedical Engineering. Supports RESNA ATP/RET exam prep. Built for working professionals.

Registration is open through August 1.

🔗 engineering.ucdenver.edu/BME/certificate-programs/assistive-technology-and-inclusive-engineering

Quick reminder to check out the Xcel PSPS Battery Rebate Program this month!
Right now, the rebate (up to $10,000) covers whole-home battery systems for Xcel customers enrolled in the medical certification program who live in wildfire risk areas.
Rebates for portable backup batteries will also be available beginning in August 2026.
If you know someone who 1) 🏘️ is an Xcel Energy residential customer in Colorado, 2) 🏥 is enrolled in Xcel's medical certification program, and 3) 🔥 lives in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 wildfire risk zone, please share this with them. We want to make sure that everyone who qualifies for this program knows it exists.
Program details: https://co.my.xcelenergy.com/s/outage-safety/wildfires/power-shutoffs/backup-battery-rebate
Emergency preparedness for people with disabilities involves unique challenges most guides miss. Our free training course covers what you actually need to know: https://www.ucdenver.edu/center-for-innovative-design-and-engineering/community-engagement/emergency-preparedness-services-new/training---courses/individuals---families

Emergency Preparedness Courses for Individuals & Families Hear from individuals with a variety of disabilities on how to prepare and improve your own readiness. Learn from personal stories and get suggestions for being prepared. 

Sixteen active wildfires are burning across Colorado right now. Fire season isn't over yet and burn scar areas are also facing flood and landslide risk this weekend.
If you or someone you care for relies on medical equipment or assistive technology, now is a good time to ask: do you have a plan?
We've put together three free printable resources specifically for people with disabilities and their families:

📄 What to do if your AT or medical equipment is damaged or destroyed in a disaster: https://www.ucdenver.edu/docs/librariesprovider38/ep-documents/planning-for-replacing-at-or-dme-after-an-emergency-or-disaster-final.pdf?sfvrsn=2c99d2ba_4

⚡ Power outages and assistive technology — what you need to know: https://www.ucdenver.edu/docs/librariesprovider38/ep-documents/at-power-outages.pdf?sfvrsn=c7908b9_12

💊 Personal medication chart — keep your information together before an emergency: https://www.ucdenver.edu/docs/librariesprovider38/ep-documents/personal-medication-chart-record.pdf?sfvrsn=213f70ba_6

We love to see it! Mazin Klapperich got his start working in our SWAAAC office during high school, and now he's graduating from CU Denver with his special education license. 🎉

CU Denver News featured his story, and it's a really good one. He went through a lot to get here and he's ready.

Congratulations Mazin, we're proud of you!

Read his story: https://news.ucdenver.edu/meet-mazin-klapperich-future-special-education-teacher/

Meet Mazin Klapperich: Future Special Education Teacher - CU Denver News When Mazin Klapperich stands in front of a classroom, he feels like a leader. He knows exactly what he’s doing thanks to the four years of classroom

Our very own Julia Beems just got published in Domestic Preparedness! 🎉

Her article "Keeping Medical Devices Powered When It Matters Most" is exactly the kind of work we love to see. If you support someone who relies on powered medical devices, this one's for you.

Go check it out on page 18: https://www.domesticpreparedness.com/3d-flip-book/2026-may-issue/

We have some exciting news to share. 🎉

We have been named to the 2026 Forbes Accessibility 200 — a list recognizing the top innovators and changemakers advancing accessibility around the world.

We're in great company alongside Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce. But honestly, the real honor is the work itself: decades of assistive technology services, free or low-cost community programs, accessibility services for industry, clinical expertise and research and development — all focused on making sure people with disabilities have access to the technology they need.

This recognition belongs to everyone who's trusted us with this work. We mean that. Thank you.

👉 Read the full story: https://www.ucdenver.edu/center-for-innovative-design-and-engineering/CIDE-about-us/cide-communicator-enewsletter/article/cide-news/cide-makes-the-forbes-accessibility-200

Just a couple of weeks to go before this incredible event! The SWAAAC team has really pulled out all the stops this year. If you work with or support students with disabilities who use or could benefit from assistive technology, this is a virtual event you will not want to miss.

Check out their line up of amazing speakers! https://web.cvent.com/event/322da0b7-2cc6-45ec-9972-c0db14463450/websitePage:53f8c156-8b45-4469-9048-67e49a99f0a2

Join us June 4-5, 2026, at the virtual Conference for Assistive Technology in Education (CATE)! Click on the link in our bio to register and learn more.


[Image: Top banner reads “register now.” Small banner reads Virtual CATE 2026. Photo of two children sitting at a table in a classroom with headphones and computers. Next to the photo it reads Conference for Assistive Technology in Education. June 4-5. At the bottom are four logos. The Colorado Department of Education, SWAAAC, Early Intervention Colorado, and The Center for Innovative Design and Engineering.]

This post does not constitute an endorsement of products or services.

Thanks to the Colorado Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind for their leadership in this space!

Happy Colorado Assistive Technology Awareness Week! For many in our community, assistive technology (AT) is the key to independence, whether you use a videophone, a hearing aid, or a walking cane. These tools are built to fit your specific needs and help you navigate the world on your own terms.

We want to see AT in action: What is one tool you can’t live without? Tell us in the comments using and help us highlight the power of accessibility!

For children and adults with sensory processing differences, autism, ADHD, or anxiety, noise-canceling headphones and other sensory AT can be the difference between overwhelm and calm.

Assistive Technology is... a little breathing room. 💛

Has sensory AT made a difference in your life or your child's? We'd love to hear about it. Share with .