Rehabilitation engineering is the systematic application of engineering sciences to design, develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and distribute technological solutions to problems confronted by individuals with disabilities. Functional areas addressed through rehabilitation engineering may include mobility, communications, hearing, vision, and cognition, and activities associated with employment, independent living, education, and integration into the community.[1] While some rehabilitation engineers have master’s degrees in rehabilitation engineering, usually a subspecialty of biomedical engineering, most rehabilitation engineers have undergraduate or graduate degrees in biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. The rehabilitation process for people with disabilities often entails the design of assistive devices intended to promote inclusion of their users into the mainstream of society, commerce, and recreation. Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, whose mission is to "improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology", is the main professional society for rehabilitation engineers. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers conduct research in the rehabilitation engineering, each focusing on one general area or aspect of disability.[2] For example, the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute conducts research for the blind and visually impaired.[3] Many of the Veterans Administration Rehabilitation Research & Development Centers conduct rehabilitation engineering research.[4]
