Redefining What’s Possible Through Innovation

At The Center for Discovery, we believe innovation begins with compassion—and that every challenge is an opportunity to create meaningful change. For over 30 years, our Assistive Technology Department has partnered with teachers, clinicians, residential teams, and community collaborators to design both low- and high-tech tools that enhance independence, accessibility, and dignity.

The team creates real-world solutions for the hundreds of children and adults who attend school, receive clinical services, and live at The Center. Innovations such as the FlexTable®, Sensory Arm Roller, Stability Chair, switch-adapted catapult, and Universal Tool Holder are just a few examples of the adapted tools that foster engagement, inclusion, and autonomy. Many of these resources are also shared through open-source platforms, trainings, and partnerships with local schools, universities, and global networks—extending the reach of adaptive and inclusive design well beyond our campus.

At the heart of this work are the Innovation Labs—an award-winning program recognized globally for adaptive and inclusive design. The Labs actively engage in evidence-based research, including NIH grant–funded studies of Center-created products like the IndieGo, and serve as a collaborative hub where clinicians, educators, engineers, students, and community innovators come together. Rooted in adaptive design and strengthened by inclusive practices, the Labs are a launchpad for creativity, problem-solving, and transformative solutions.

Equally essential is the Rehabilitation Technology team, dedicated to the repair, maintenance, and repurposing of adaptive equipment across the Agency. These highly skilled technicians ensure equipment remains in safe, proper working order while also responding 24/7 to emergent safety needs—providing reliability, safety, and peace of mind for all who depend on adaptive technology.

Together, the Innovation Labs and Rehabilitation Technology teams deliver a comprehensive approach: creating new adaptive and inclusive solutions, safeguarding essential equipment, and advancing a structured innovation pipeline—from problem-solving and prototyping to testing, scaling, and open-source sharing. Through innovation, collaboration, and compassion, the Assistive Technology Department is redefining what’s possible—one individualized solution at a time.