Accessibility Archives - Faculty of Engineering and Design

As the 2025 season comes to a close, we reflect on the groundbreaking research, innovative leadership and inspiring community achievements that defined 2025 for �Ӱ�ԭ�� University.

Take a look back at the year’s Top 10 stories

The post �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Top 10 Stories of 2025 appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Accessibility for All: �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Advancing Inclusion and Social Participation

cuthemeedtr5 — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 14:49:42 +0000

Accessibility for All: �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Advancing Inclusion and Social Participation

December 18, 2025

Time to read: 1 minutes

Accessibility has always been important to �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, so it’s no surprise that it has opened the Abilities Living Laboratory (ALL) to bring together some of Canada’s top minds from science, engineering, design, health, social sciences and the humanities to co-create innovative community systems that enable a fully inclusive and accessible Canada.

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

All-Around Accessibility: New �Ӱ�ԭ�� Lab Enhances Inclusion Research

cuthemeedtr5 — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 15:05:31 +0000

All-Around Accessibility: New �Ӱ�ԭ�� Lab Enhances Inclusion Research

December 18, 2025

In a brand-new lab at �Ӱ�ԭ�� University, biomedical engineering PhD student Hossein Sadat Hosseini attaches several loonie-sized wireless sensors to the arms and legs of a patient who is recovering from a stroke.

A three-foot-tall rehabilitation robot made by �Ӱ�ԭ�� spin-off company rolls toward the patient, encircles his waist with a cushioned belt and mirrors his movements as he slowly stands, turns and begins to walk.

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Custom Fit: Creating AI-Powered Exoskeletons for Individual Mobility Needs

cuthemeedtr5 — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:03:38 +0000

Custom Fit: Creating AI-Powered Exoskeletons for Individual Mobility Needs

December 18, 2025

In Canada, about 13.7 per cent of individuals aged 15 and over report having mobility disabilities, requiring the use of assistive devices such as canes and wheelchairs to walk or climb stairs. Despite their widespread use, these traditional tools have limitations as they can cause physical strain, restrict terrain navigation, and pose daily accessibility challenges.

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Prototypes For Humanity: Two �Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Projects Selected For Global Innovation Showcase In Dubai

cuthemeedtr5 — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:30:10 +0000

Prototypes For Humanity: Two �Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Projects Selected For Global Innovation Showcase In Dubai

December 18, 2025

The capstone projects from industrial design graduates Sammy Dietrich and Nate Wiersma were selected as the top 100 globally for the showcase at the inaugural Prototypes for Humanity event held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this past November.

The post Prototypes For Humanity: Two �Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Projects Selected For Global Innovation Showcase In Dubai appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Homecoming 2022: Celebrating Our Alumni – Ruzbeh Irani (BID/19 – Industrial Design, MDes/21)

cuthemeedtr5 — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:18:08 +0000

Homecoming 2022: Celebrating Our Alumni – Ruzbeh Irani (BID/19 – Industrial Design, MDes/21)

December 18, 2025

After obtaining his Bachelor of Industrial Design in 2019, Ruzbeh Irani continued his studies at �Ӱ�ԭ�� in the Master of Design program.

Ruzbeh Irani still remembers his first encounter with industrial design.

He was in Grade 11 and living in Toronto at the time. He and his father were building his room a closet and needed to install a stainless-steel bracket to the hinge—a slow-release latch that kept the door from slamming.

“Who thinks up these cool little mechanisms?” he asked his father, who said “designers.”

When he was looking online for post-secondary options, Irani came across �Ӱ�ԭ��’s industrial design program and that little closet bracket came to mind.

“I’ve always been interested in how things are manufactured,” he says. “I’ve watched How It’s Made since I was very young. I love engineering and I also love art, and I found that industrial design was the bridge between both.”

Irani went on to complete a Bachelor of Industrial Design (BID) with a specialization in industrial and product design in 2019. He loved learning to communicate his thoughts through sketching and to develop prototypes with 3D printers and in metal or wood shops on �Ӱ�ԭ��’s campus.

“Because industrial design is dealing with product design and industry, you can get into anything,” says Irani. “We got a taste of designing helmets, faucets, even forks. My final fourth-year project was a modular water distillation machine, so you can get exposure to a variety of product industries.”

His love for the program grew because of its interdisciplinary nature. It didn’t just focus on product design but also on physics, economics and psychology. This urged him to continue in the master’s of industrial design (MID) program to expand his knowledge in design research.

He worked with Prof. Chantal Trudel as a Biometric & Human Factors Design Researcher. Together with a team of graduate students, they researched the design of electronic payment terminals for Employment and Social Development Canada to be more accessible for people with disabilities.

He completed the MID in 2022 and soon joined IBM Consulting as an Associate Designer of experiential and mobile design solutions. He works on a variety of different projects at the 111-year-old company, and he says every day is a new, refreshing challenge. His current project takes a service design approach to develop a custom-made client relationship management system.

“Everyone at IBM is always open to helping,” he says. “IBMers have a growth mindset, so when problems occur, people are always motivated to help and break beyond the barriers.”

His studies prepared him for his career in a few ways. The BID taught Irani to take a high-level view of the entire design process—from first sketch to final manufactured products—with an emphasis on understanding the end user. The master’s program brought in effective interdisciplinary design research, to allow him to solve wicked problems that require finding solutions through different lenses.

“Coming from high school, your umbrella of knowledge is limited,” says Irani, “and then coming out of the program four years later, you know exactly how to prototype, build and manufacture a water bottle, a desk, a keyboard or even an entire experience. That’s cool. Now I can actually make something which can impact our future.”

By: Joseph Mathieu

The post Homecoming 2022: Celebrating Our Alumni – Ruzbeh Irani (BID/19 – Industrial Design, MDes/21) appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Grads Win Top Prize in Accessible Design Competition

cuthemeedtr5 — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 16:02:51 +0000

�Ӱ�ԭ�� Industrial Design Grads Win Top Prize in Accessible Design Competition

December 18, 2025

Time to read: 1 minutes

A pair of recent graduates from �Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Industrial Design program have won one of the top prizes in this year’s . Mandy Hui and Liana Meere, who finished their degrees this past spring, developed a labelling system and app to help people with visual impairments select, sort and wash clothing.

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Prof. Chantal Trudel Appointed Inaugural Director of New Centre for Community Engagement

cuthemeedtr5 — Wed, 26 May 2021 21:27:01 +0000

Prof. Chantal Trudel Appointed Inaugural Director of New Centre for Community Engagement

December 18, 2025

To All Members of the �Ӱ�ԭ�� Community – it is our pleasure to announce that Prof. Chantal Trudel has been appointed as the inaugural director of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s new Centre for Community Engagement. This important Centre, located under the portfolio of Deputy Provost (Academic Operations and Planning) Lorraine Dyke, will strategically align and support community engagement efforts across the university.

The post Prof. Chantal Trudel Appointed Inaugural Director of New Centre for Community Engagement appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

Grad Research: Improving Patient Care in the NICU

cuthemeedtr5 — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 13:31:43 +0000

Grad Research: Improving Patient Care in the NICU

December 18, 2025

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit specializes in critical newborn care often due to premature birth, health complications, or delivery complications. A PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering, Yasmina Souley Dosso is researching building a non-contact, non-invasive monitoring system for patients in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The post appeared first on Faculty of Engineering and Design.

$2.37M in CFI Funding to Enable Collaborative Accessibility Solutions at Abilities Living Laboratory

cuthemeedtr5 — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 15:32:45 +0000

$2.37M in CFI Funding to Enable Collaborative Accessibility Solutions at Abilities Living Laboratory

December 18, 2025