What is the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Wheelchair Transportation Safety (WTS)?
This Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) is a five-year project (November 2006 to October 2011) funded by the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). It is focused solely on the issues of transportation safety for occupants of motor vehicles who remain seated in their wheelchair. The RERC on WTS is a partnership between the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the University of Louisville’s Speed School of Engineering, the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology and the University of Colorado’s Assistive Technology Partners. In addition to focusing on research and development activities concerned with occupant protection for wheelchair travelers in side and rear impacts, the RERC also addresses issues of improved restraint systems and wheelchair seating systems. In addition, however, the RERC will expend considerable effort on the development and implementation of additional standard
