Partner With Us

From global brands to startups, we collaborate with companies on projects that make products, services, and technologies more inclusive.

• User needs discovery and usability testing: Evaluating accessibility and functionality with real users.
• Joint product development: Co-creating solutions that fill gaps, improve usability, and increase independence and quality of life.
• Access to Shepherd’s clinical expertise and patient network: Drawing on decades of rehabilitation experience and a national participant database.
• Brand exposure and co-marketing opportunities: Showcasing innovations born from collaboration.

Recent collaborations

• McDonald’s: Shepherd’s Accessibility User Research Collective (AURC) tested and refined accessibility features for self-service ordering kiosks, including adjustable screen height and on-screen magnification for low-vision customers.
• Microsoft: Two-year collaboration to make the “Accommodations” portal for Microsoft Learn exams truly accessible, redesigning it based on iterative feedback from people with disabilities.
• Samsung: User testing for smart TVs to ensure people with limited hand function can navigate menus and control features without a traditional remote input.
• Nike: Consultation on adaptive apparel and accessible packaging for people with mobility limitations.
• Kemtai: Co-developing postural assessments using computer vision technology for patients with brain injury to improve the accuracy and efficiency of posture assessments inside the clinic.
• AETOS Imaging: Creates 3D digital twins of real-world spaces — from restaurants to stadiums. Recreation therapists at Shepherd use the AETOS platform to help patients virtually explore unfamiliar environments, identify accessibility challenges, and prepare for community reintegration.

We work with universities and research institutions to advance rehabilitation science and evidence-based care.

• Collaborative grant funding: Pursuing National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and foundation grants together.
• Co-authored research and publications: Producing rigorous, peer-reviewed findings that inform the field.
• Student and postdoctoral training: Offering mentorship, clinical exposure, and hands-on research experience.
• Shared research infrastructure: Leveraging each partner’s labs, data resources, and expertise.
• Multi-site clinical trials: Expanding reach and accelerating recruitment through coordinated research.
• Knowledge exchange and symposia: Hosting joint conferences, workshops, and educational programs.

Recent collaborations

• Georgia Tech-Kinemo project: Born out of Georgia Tech’s engineering labs and led by two of its research engineers, Kinemo is jointly testing a head-controlled interface for people with high-level tetraplegia to operate power wheelchairs, computers, and smart devices.
• Multi-university clinical trials: Collaboration with multiple academic sites on NIH-funded studies of transcutaneous spinal stimulation for people with spinal cord injuries.
• Postdoctoral training: Hosting PhD students from partner universities to gain hands-on experience integrating rehabilitation research into clinical settings.
• Co-publication of findings: Shepherd researchers and academic partners co-author peer-reviewed journal articles on rehabilitation technology, accessibility, and neurorehabilitation.

We partner with federal, state, and local agencies to drive research, shape policy, and improve public health.

• Federally funded research collaborations: Leading or contributing to projects supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and other agencies.
• Clinical trial implementation: Serving as a primary or participating site for government-sponsored studies.
• Policy and standards development: Contributing expertise to inform regulations and guidelines.
• Program evaluation and outcomes research: Measuring impact to guide funding and service models.
• Training and workforce development: Hosting federally funded traineeships and continuing education.
• Data sharing and big data initiatives: Building national datasets to improve rehabilitation strategies.

Recent collaborations

• NIH-Funded SCI research: Leading site in multi-center trials on spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation funded by the National Institutes of Health.
• Department of Defense: Partnering on projects to improve rehabilitation outcomes for service members with traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.
• NIDILRR Model Systems: Shepherd is a federally designated Model System Center for SCI and Traumatic Brain Injury, contributing to national datasets that guide rehabilitation best practices.
• Policy guidance: Providing clinical expertise to inform accessibility guidelines and standards for rehabilitation care delivery at the federal level.
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Shepherd Center recreation therapists train DNR staff on leading adaptive hunting and fishing trips and other best practices for working with people with permanent or temporary disabilities.

Our patients are more than participants, they are collaborators who shape the future of rehabilitation. Their lived experience, feedback, and commitment drive the relevance and success of our research. Some examples include:

• Co-designing research questions: Patients, clinicians, caregivers, and researchers working alongside each other to identify the most important issues to study.
• Participating in clinical trials: Volunteering time and effort to test new therapies, devices, and approaches.
• Providing usability feedback: Sharing firsthand insights on how products and interventions work in real life.
• Helping translate research into practice: Offering perspectives that ensure innovations are meaningful and accessible.
• Advocating for others: Contributing to solutions that benefit future patients with similar conditions.

Recent collaborations

• High-intensity walking circuit study: A former patient with spinal cord injury adapted Shepherd’s research protocol for at-home use during his therapist’s leave, returning with improved walking ability.
• Spasticity management trials: Participants testing non-pharmacological interventions such as spinal stimulation, cycling, and vibration therapy to manage involuntary muscle activity.
• Kinemo device testing: Patients trialed head-controlled sensors, which influenced the design and encouraged the developer to pursue an NIH grant.
• Usability feedback for Microsoft accommodations portal: Patients served as test users, providing detailed feedback that directly shaped the final accessible design.

By partnering with our patients in this way, we ensure that every study is grounded in real-world needs and aims to deliver measurable improvements in independence, function, and quality of life.