DURHAM, N.H. – From April 23 – 26, 2017, Therese Willkomm, Ph.D., a Clinical Associate Professor at the Institute on Disability was a keynote presenter at the 2017 Gulf Region Education Assistive Technology (GREAT) Conference in Doha, Qatar.

She taught day-long courses on Making Assistive Technology Devices in Minutes and an iPad Bootcamp in pre-conference masterclasses. During the two day conference she also presented on “101 ways to use an iPad camera out to support individuals with disabilities” and “Apps for OCD, ADHD, LD, Anxiety, and Executive Function Impairments.”

“Presenting at the GREAT Conference was a wonderful opportunity to meet Assistive Technology practitioners from across the Middle East and learn more about both their needs and how the address them,” shares Dr. Willkomm.

The GREAT Conference was a first-of-its-kind conference, dedicated to focusing on education practices in Inclusive Computer Technology and Assistive Technology in the Gulf region. The conference, held in partnership with the Assistive Technology Industry Association, featured industry experts who educated attendees and exchanged information on best practices and current trends in the field.

Therese Willkomm, Ph.D., ATP, directs the NH Statewide Assistive Technology (ATinNH) program with the Institute on Disability and is a clinical associate professor in the University of New Hampshire's Department of Occupational Therapy. Known internationally as “The MacGyver of Assistive Technology” and more recently as an expert in iPad modifications and apps for individuals with disabilities, Dr. Willkomm has provided AT services for over 30 years. During that time, she has designed and fabricated over 1,200 solutions for individuals with disabilities including her patented A.T. Pad Stand, a multi-use assistive technology mounting device to provide hands-free holding solutions for individuals who experience paralysis. She has appeared on RFD TV, CNN, NPR Science Friday and has received numerous honors and awards including being invited to speak at the 2016 White House Summit on Technology and Disability. For more information visit www.atinnh.org.

The Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. Its mission is to promote full access, equal opportunities, and participation for all persons by strengthening communities and advancing policy and systems change, promising practices, education, and research. For more information, visit www.iod.unh.edu.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.