CONTRIBUTORS

1. TODD WILTSE, AIA, LEED AP, is a partner and principal at WJW Architects. His consistent pursuit of new ideas and evolution of architectural knowledge has led to expertise in projects including design for seniors and those with dementia; design for people with physical and developmental disabilities; environments for healing and wellness; and supportive, lowincome and market rate housing. wjwarchitects.com

2. ROSEMARIE ROSSETTI, Ph.D., is CEO & founder of Rossetti Enterprises LLC and author of the Universal Design Toolkit. She is a disability inclusion and embracing change expert, an accessibility consultant, a Certified Living in Place Professional and a board member of the Global Universal Design Commission. rosemariespeaks.com

3. JILL BARBARO, MHA, is a strategic planner at Array Advisors. She holds a master’s degree In health administration and is passionate about improving healthcare business processes, designing novel approaches to operational problems, and improving patient-facing communication systems to better serve communities. array-advisors.com

4. LOUIS TENENBAUM is president and co-founder of the Homes Renowned Coalition, was one of the first design-build contractors to focus on accessibility in the early 1990s and wrote the white paper, Aging in Place 2.0 for the Met-Life Mature Market Institute. homesrenewedcoalition.com

5. BILL DARCY is CEO of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. He joined the NKBA in 2006 has served numerous roles within the organization, including director of marketing, executive vice president, and ultimately CEO. He holds a B.A. in management from Moravian College. nkba.org

6. S. ROBERT AUGUST is president of North Star Synergies, and is an accomplished marketing, management and sales consultant headquartered in Denver, Colorado. He is the senior life director of the National Association of Home Builders. He is past chairman of the National Sales and Marketing Council of the NAHB. northstarsynergies.com

7. CHRIS EGNER, MCR, CKBR, CRPM, UDCP, CCP, is president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and has served on NARI’s National Board of Directors since 2018. He is the owner of Chris Egner Design-BuildRemodel & Four Seasons Sunrooms in New Berlin, Wisconsin. chrisegnerdesign.com

aging-inplace & universal design industry news

VA Funding Helps Spur Development of Assistive Technologies

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology grants award up to $200,000 per fiscal year to persons or entities to encourage the development of specially adapted housing assistive technologies. The grants provide funding to those working to enhance the ability of seriously disabled service members and veterans and allow them to live more independently.

Since 2016, VA has awarded 22 SAHAT grants. To date, these grants have resulted in the introduction of several new products, including:

> AI-powered mobile scanner and reader enabling blind and visually impaired users to read text independently

> Smart guidance: a customized disability-adapted bathroom module

> Robotic overbed table for beds, recliners and wheelchairs

For more information, visit VA.gov