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When a paralyzed mother crossed the finish line of the 26.2-mile London Marathon in a bionic suit, it marked a watershed moment for wearable technology; the exoskeleton had arrived.

The recent FDA approval of the exoskeleton, which enables paraplegics, amputees and people with muscle or nerve damage to walk, is the latest milestone in the new world of wearable technology for injured workers, according to Zack Craft, ATP, Vice President of Rehab Solutions and Complex Care Education at One Call Care Management (“One Call”).

Craft spoke on wearable technology and workers’ compensation at the RIMS 2016 Annual Conference held April 10 – 13 in San Diego, California, along with Felicia Amenta, Workers’ Compensation Program Manager for San Diego County and Imperial Schools. Their presentation, “The New Game Changer in Managing Worksite Health: Wearable Technology,” introduced attendees to ways in which wearable technology can benefit injured workers, their employers and payers.

Speaking about the exoskeleton, Craft noted: “For an employee with catastrophic injuries, the exoskeleton holds enormous potential to give them back a part of their lives they thought was lost forever.”

Other types of wearable technology that are applicable in the workplace range from postural devices to activity trackers to GPS locators. Benefits of these devices include wellness, prevention of injuries, increased productivity, compliance with treatment regimes to prevent injury and avoid re-injury, and enhanced independence and quality of life.

As wearable technologies are introduced into the workplace, and especially for the treatment of injured workers, specialists such as assistive technology experts can advise claims managers on which technologies may be most appropriate, taking into consideration the long-term view of the injury, the home environment, and patients’ needs for functionality and independence.

Assistive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. Assistive technology promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks.

RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency. RESNA certified assistive technology experts can be located nationwide by using the search tool on the RESNA website.

California State University in Northridge, Center on Disabilities just finished its 31st Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference last month in San Diego. For over 30 years, the Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, has provided an inclusive setting for researchers, practitioners, exhibitors, end users, speakers and other participants to share knowledge and best practices in the field of assistive technology. In 2015, the conference drew more than 4,800 people to San Diego. The annual conference is a forum that showcases cutting edge technology and practical solutions.The conference is the largest of its kind in the world. The 32nd Annual CSUN Conference is scheduled for February 27 to March 4, 2017 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego.

CSUN also just launched two new master’s degrees in assistive technology. It says that assistive technology is “one of the fastest-growing segments of the rapidly expanding health and human services field.”