ESWCPA's Club Lily and University of Pittsburgh Collaborate

In June, the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) from University of Pittsburgh joined participants at our Club Lily Summer Camp to research the use of newly developed pneumatic wheelchairs. The chair is entirely powered by air and is able to be taken into water. The HERL team trained several Club Lily staff to set up and operate the pneumatic wheelchairs. We then were able to test the chairs with three of our campers, Olivia, Clement and Barb (not pictured). The HERL team was able to gather valuable research data from the training and testing they provided, so it was an overall successful experience for everyone involved. 

The Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL) are a joint venture between the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as the VA Center for Wheelchairs and Rehabilitation Engineering. The labs work in all aspects of the rehab engineering research cycle. Their mission is to continuously improve the mobility and function of people with disabilities through advanced engineering in clinical research and medical rehabilitation and their vision is to create a world where all people with disabilities have unencumbered mobility and function so that they can fully participate in and contribute to society. Easterseals Western and Central Pennsylvania board vice chair, Rosemarie Cooper is HERL's Associate Director for Stakeholder Engagement and will be honored along with her husband, Easterseals board member and HERL Director, Dr. Rory Cooper at the ESWCPA's 2025 Partner in Equity event.