Assistive Technology Certificate

Deliver state-of-the-art assistive technology services and solutions to individuals with disabilities

UIC’s Certificate Program in Assistive Technology is a flexible package of 13 graduate-level credit hours* designed to train individuals to deliver state-of-the-art assistive technology clinical services and solutions for people with physical, cognitive and/or sensory disabilities. Learn how to analyze a person’s interaction with their environment, help them select effective technology, and support their use of tools through implementation and follow-up training.

Complete our program entirely online or through a combination of online and on-campus, lab-based courses. Each course is taught by recognized assistive technology professionals who work in a variety of settings and have extensive experience in their area of focus. Our core faculty are senior clinicians in the UIC Assistive Technology Unit and RESNA-Certified assistive technology professionals. Courses can be taken individually without enrolling in the certificate program.

* Starting spring 2022. The requirement for current students is 12 credit hours.

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Stats and Facts

Patricia Politano; Project ATLiS (Photo: Robert Dupuis-Devlin)
Developing leaders
Training educators to be leaders in assistive technology interventions, assessments and policies to help students succeed
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Garett Jones test a newly-adapted cup holder installed on his wheel chair
Expanding independence
For nearly 30 years, the Assistive Technology Unit has maximized individual independance
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100%
RESNA ATP certification pass rate in FY21
20 Individual courses Learn more
What to expect
A detailed look at the program

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The AT Certificate Program is one of a kind. It offers the support and training that my graduate training program was missing.
Ellyn  |  AT certificate graduate

Your Career

Providing access for people with disabilities to learn, live, work and play more independently in the community is a growing part of many different fields of practice. Our certificate will expand your professional training in fields such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech language pathology, pecial education, engineering and vocational rehabilitation (we have two CRCC preapproved courses).

Learn from the best

  • Brenda Sposato Bonfiglio

    Brenda Sposato Bonfiglio

    Assistive technology educator with specialization in seating, positioning and wheeled mobility

  • Daniel Cochrane

    Daniel Cochrane

    Expert in assistive technology practice in the K-12 school setting with over 20 years of experience

  • Glenn Hedman

    Glenn Hedman

    Researching areas of accessible pathways in the built environment and emergency evacuation from high-rise structures

  • headshot of Kathy

    Kathy Hooyenga

    Specialized expertise in computer access, access to augmentative communication, and adaptive equipment design

  • Patricia Politano

    Patricia Politano

    Augmentative communication specialist and international speaker with 25 years experience delivering community-based services

  • Headshot of Stephanie Bay, a white woman with blond hair

    Stephanie Bay

    Experienced clinician specializing in augmentative communication with research interests around the social participation of people who use AAC and AAC implementation strategies

Understanding by doing

You’ll get hands-on experiences so you’re ready for real-world situations. Get in-depth training on topics like:

  • Computers, communication and controls in rehabilitation technology: Learn how to evaluate access methods and controls used to operate computers, communication devices and powered wheelchairs, and investigate device features and integration factors.
  • Augmentative communication assessment: Examine strategies and evaluation materials, including case example discussions of specific approaches for different ages, disabilities, and settings. You’ll work directly with speech-generating devices and gain hands-on experience using a variety of access methods, rate enhancement techniques and vocabulary expansion tools.
  • Consideration and assessment in K12 Settings: Work with your own real-life student in a case study project that takes you through all stages of AT consideration, assessment, implementation, and documentation. Design and deliver an AT assessment and get real results you can share with your team.
  • Adaptive equipment design and fabrication: Explore custom design and fabrication of low-tech adaptive equipment. Practice sessions put you to work in our Assistive Technology Unit shop, where you’ll complete an individual project based on actual consumer request.

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The UIC AT Certificate Program is so informative, engaging, and important! Coursework was thoughtful, well-organized, and presented in a manner that made me feel ready to bring newly acquired knowledge into my practice.
Alisa  |  AT certificate graduate

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Questions?

Still wondering what a certificate in assistive technology can do for you? Contact us and get your questions answered.

You can contact the AT Certificate Program:

Accreditation

Our assistive technology certificate is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Education. As part of the accreditation process, we annually report program data to CAAHEP. For the academic year 2021: 97% student retention, RESNA ATP 100% pass rate, 90% employed and providing assistive technology services post-completion.