The majority of people living with cerebral palsy (CP) today are adults, and more research is finally being done to better understand the unique healthcare risks and needs of adults with CP. However, many gaps remain in both research and healthcare for adults with CP. Dr. Cristina Sarmiento is a clinician and researcher who focuses on the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for adults with lifelong disabilities, particularly CP, with the ultimate goal of promoting overall health, well-being, and quality of life across the lifespan.

She is part of a team of researchers investigating research priorities for adults with CP. In this episode, Cristina discusses a CPARF-funded research project she and the team are working on through a strategic partnership with the CP Research Network. This project is critical for ensuring that future research will address the needs of the CP community. Cristina is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

About 18 million people worldwide have cerebral palsy (CP). CP’s impacts span a person’s whole lifetime and will likely change with age. Thankfully, more recent research has been aimed at better understanding important issues related to managing CP throughout adulthood. This Research Roundup with Dr. Marie McNeely features three new research papers in this area.

They examine important factors for people with more involved CP to consider when transitioning from assisted to independent living, functional decline in adults with CP living in the community, and dealing with and managing falls. Jocelyn Cohen, CPARF’s Vice President of Education also joined the conversation to share why these new studies matter for people with CP.

The studies featured in this episode weren’t funded by CPARF, but they represent other interesting, innovative work that scientists are doing in the CP research space.

Links to the abstracts of the studies featured in this episode:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38591970/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38433033/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38994847/

Technology can make it easier for people with disabilities to access and engage with their communities, and We Hear You is dedicated to building a world with diversity and inclusion as the foundation of innovation. In this episode, you’ll hear from Pierre Paul and Ashley Schreck. Pierre is Founder and CEO of We Hear You, a startup company in our 2024 Remarkable US Accelerator Program.

Pierre shares the story of how the company began, the sign-language interpreter that got them started in disability tech, and their latest products, which focus on increasing accessibility by making it easier for people with disabilities to open doors and enter spaces. The Hero Door Opener can make virtually any door open automatically, and the Push Fob puts the power of opening automatic doors in your hands. This means you can say goodbye to struggling with wall-mounted push plates for automatic doors.

Ashley joins us for the second half of the episode to talk about her experiences using products from We Hear You. As the Director of Marketing at EP!C, Ashley and her team partnered with We Hear You to test their products and provide feedback.