News & Events

CDAT's Community Advisory Board consists of a diverse group of experts representing a wide spectrum of populations that support individuals with disabilities across settings and life stages.

Engineers are natural problem solvers. At Lehigh, the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies is built on the idea that the most meaningful solutions emerge when engineering expertise is paired directly with lived experience. In other words, people facing accessibility challenges and those who support them help shape and guide the center’s work.

Dr. Kathryn Burke leads an interdisciplinary study on leveraging assistive technology to improve self-management for transition-age students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Funded by CDAT, this research combines special education, engineering, and computer science to create evidence-based frameworks, overcoming barriers to student independence in postsecondary life.

Lehigh University received the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Healthcare Innovation Award, recognizing the 2025 launch of CDAT and its impactful partnership with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation in advancing disability health equity through collaborative research.

This bold university-wide partnership will drive innovation through joint appointments, interdisciplinary research and more.

On November 1, 2024, the leadership team of the Center for Community-Driven Assistive Technologies held a day long research workshop at the Health, Science, and Technology Building at Lehigh University. The workshop was attended by potential partners within Lehigh University and from local, national, and international organizations, universities, and industry.