On July 6, the National Science Foundation (NSF) published an article in its “Discoveries” section featuring Amy Hurst’s assistive technology research. Hurst, an assistant professor of information systems, has published research with collaborators that found little use of assistive technologies in the maker community. “No one else was reflectively studying what’s happening in the Maker space,” Hurst said in the NSF article.

In her research, Hurst found that assistive technologies have a low adoption rate and almost one-third of them go unused because they don’t meet people’s needs. She also found that maker tools offered unmatched opportunities for individuals with special needs. The article stated that after several years of research, Hurst and her team have created several tools to allow people of all skill levels to make objects that are useful to them, such as the Easy-Make Oven, GripFab, and VizTouch. “We’re empowering people to incorporate making into their daily lives to solve their own accessibility challenges,” said Hurst.

“Working with a diverse population including individuals with intellectual disabilities, power wheelchair users, individuals with visual impairments, and physical therapists, [Hurst] is demonstrating what can happen when technology intersects with opportunity,” the article stated.

Hurst’s research was recently featured in UMBC Magazine.