Rehabilitation Science and Technology
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cience S n o i t a lit Rehabi nology & Tech
: D E T N WA A FEW N E M GOOD N E M O &W
ATPs are typically members of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team who assess, manage, procure and maintain complex assistive technologies. These technologies not only include power wheelchairs, but also custom ultralight manual wheelchairs, home accessibility modifications, computer access, and/or vehicle adaptions to support people with disabilities to live, work, participate in the community or age in place. Schmeler reports that about 8 percent of ATP professionals are retiring every year. “Couple that with only a 4 percent gain in new ATPs and you can see the profession is operating at a deficit.” “Frankly, it’s the big white elephant in the room,” says Schmeler. Joy Nix (MS ’18) looked this elephant right in the eyes. For her master’s thesis, Nix investigated the perspectives of 252 ATPs who currently work in the assistive technology supply and manufacturing industry. Through an 18-question survey developed and disseminated by the University of Pittsburgh in collaboration with the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology, Nix determined the age, education, certifications, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, disability status, methods of financial compensation, company type and category of the participants. In addition, she analyzed opinions on the industry regarding education levels and licensure. The results officially quantified what she and Schmeler expected. Current ATPs were, on average, ten years older than the national workforce. More than 92 percent of the respondents were Caucasian, and 79 percent were male. “The findings supported the need to increase awareness of the ATP profession and to attract younger, more diverse professionals,” says Nix.
The job is rewarding. The hours are good. Turnover is low and the pay is excellent. In spite of all of these benefits, there is a desperate need for Assistive Technology Professionals (ATPs). The reason? Mark Schmeler, associate professor and vice chair for Education and Training, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology (RST), cites an aging workforce and an increasingly large number of people with chronic conditions who require assistive technology.
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FACETS SPRING/SUMMER 2019
Nix, who currently works in New Orleans as an assistive technology professional with Numotion, a leading provider of complex rehabilitation technology, was quick to point out that nearly 80 percent of the respondents said they would recommend the ATP profession to someone looking for a career. “This is a great job,” she exclaims. “But many people don’t even know it exists.” “In the past we have not done a good job of letting people know who we are and what our profession is all about,” adds Schmeler. “The Assistive Technology Professional career is not even tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Even though Nix’s undergraduate degree was Kinesiology, and she worked in the field of adaptive sports for ten years, she says she didn’t know about the ATP profession. “Once I realized I could have a career in this field, I had to be a part of it,” says Nix.