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's goal is "To maximize the health and well being of people with disabilities through technology."

The purpose of RESNA is to contribute to the public welfare through scientific, literary, professional and educational activities by supporting the development,dissemination, and utilization of knowledge and practice of rehabilitation and assistive technology in order to achieve the highest quality of life for all citizens.

RESNA is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit membership association. RESNA's volunteer Board of Directors provides governance and oversight of the organization's activities. The Board establishes several committees for this purpose. RESNA also has a small professional staff, consisting of an Executive Director and core programmatic staff. The organization is headquartered in Arlington, VA. Please click here to view the RESNA Strategic Plan for 2014-2018.

RESNA was started in August 1979 at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Conference on Rehabilitation Engineering when participants Douglas Hobson, Colin McLaurin, James Reswick, Anthony Staros, and Joseph Traub offered a resolution to form the "Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America." Over 200 people at the meeting requested membership in the new organization. Jim Reswick was elected as first president and Jan Little as secretary. "Seed money" of $1,000 was provided through a gift from Robert Graebe of Roho R&D Inc., and was used to purchase stationary, file incorporation papers, and mail membership materials. The first RESNA "office" was a combination of Jim Reswick's office at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center and Jan Little's spare bedroom! In 1980 RESNA became incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation (501(c)(3) under the laws of the State of Illinois. The first official membership and board meetings were held in Toronto in June of 1980 in conjunction with an international conference on rehabilitation engineering being held there. RESNA's first independent conference was held in August 1981 in Washington DC with support of a $36,000 grant from the Veteran's Administration.