June 29, 2026 She was also honored this year by UW Husky100 for “making the most of their time at the University of Washington.” Hoffman led work to develop the Switch Kit, an accessible, customizable system that helps children with motor disabilities to interact with toys and engage more fully in play. With the customized adaptations based on individual abilities, children can activate toys by moving a finger, tilting their head, or blowing a puff of air. Inaccessible controls are re-engineered…
Category: Early Access Mobility Research
Articles about early access/childhood mobility research being done by CREATE members and partners.
Steele elected fellow of the American Society of Biomechanics
June 15, 2026 In the honor from her primary professional society, Steele was cited for her work integrating engineering and medicine at multiple hospitals across the country, her award-winning research, and her work with CREATE to bridge engineering, rehabilitation, and disability studies. At the UW and in addition to her role in CREATE, Steele wears many titles: Associate Chair of Research in Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Neuromechanics & Mobility Lab, Co-Director of the AMP Lab, HuskyADAPT Faculty Advisor, the…
With new NIH funding, CREATE postdoc Bethany Sloane continues research for children with cerebral palsy, motor delays
September 15, 2025 Exploration and self-initiated mobility are known to support growth in learning, communication, social skills, and play. Yet, due to limited training, funding, or access to different types of devices, powered mobility devices are often underused in early intervention and pediatric therapy settings. Bethany Sloane’s research is focused on addressing these issues, to ensure that children under the age of three have opportunities to explore their environments and participate in daily life through mobility. She aims to create…
Wheels in motion: Improving mobility tools for children with developmental delay, cerebral palsy
February 28, 2024 Adapted ride-on cars (ROC) are an affordable, power mobility training tool for young children with developmental and motor disabilities. Previous research has identified environmental factors, such as weather and adequate drive space, as barriers to families’ adoption of their ROC. Now, a new study looks at the relationship between the built environment and ROC usage. Being able to easily get from the house to the playground affects how long and how often children use ROCs, according to…
Winter 2023 CREATE Research Showcase
At the December 2023 CREATE Research Showcase, students from CSE 493 and other CREATE researchers shared their work with faculty, students, and community partners.
Off to the Park: A Geospatial Investigation of Adapted Ride-on Car Usage
November 7, 2023 Adapted ride-on cars (ROC) are an affordable, power mobility training tool for young children with disabilities. But weather and adequate drive space create barriers to families’ adoption of their ROC. CREATE Ph.D. student Mia E. Hoffman is the lead author on a paper that investigates the relationship between the built environment and ROC usage. With her co-advisors Kat Steele and Heather A. Feldner, Jon E. Froehlich (all three CREATE associate directors), and Kyle N. Winfree as co-authors,…
Accessible Technology Research Showcase – Spring 2023
The 2023 CREATE and HuskyADAPT research showcase brought 25 project presentations and over 100 attendees.
Heather Feldner, Associate Director
CREATE Associate Director, Dr. Heather Feldner’s focus is on advancing participation and health together with people with disabilities and their families by exploring the intersections between mobility, disability, and technology in a variety of personal and environmental contexts. Her research centers on the design and implementation of mobility assistive technology, including how perceptions of disability and identity emerge and evolve through technology use.
Katherine M. Steele, Associate Director
CREATE Associate Director, Dr. Katherine M. Steele’s research focuses on using novel computational and experimental tools to understand human movement and improve treatment and quality of life of individuals with cerebral palsy, stroke, and other neurological disorders. Steele’s research strives to connect engineering and medicine to create solutions that can advance our understanding of human ability, but also translate research results to the clinic and daily life.