The Seventh National Workshop for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists drew more than 200 participants to Ottawa from May 4 to 5, 2007. Sponsored by Transport Canada (through TDC) and the Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, the workshop offered an opportunity for professionals from across Canada to share knowledge and experience related to assessing driving skills, training drivers, licensing and regulations, and prescribing vehicle modifications for drivers with disabilities.

The workshop featured a wide range of presentations aimed at occupational therapists, driving instructors, dealers specializing in modified vehicles, researchers, and people from related agencies such as road safety, licensing authorities, vehicle modifiers, and rehabilitation specialists for persons with disabilities. The workshop also included a trade show featuring the latest in equipment and technology presented by dealers and manufacturers.

A posthumous tribute was held for a retired Transport Canada employee for her contribution to driver rehabilitation and transportation accessibility. Barbara Jamieson Smith, senior development officer for accessibility at TDC, passed away in April 2006.

Held every two or three years in different cities across the country, the workshop has established itself as the premier Canadian event where professionals can share experiences and be exposed to the latest assessment and training techniques and to recent advances in adaptive driving aids. The most recent workshop was held in Edmonton, Alberta in May 2004, and drew more than 200 rehabilitation specialists. Workshops have also been held in Vancouver (1995); Halifax (1997), Toronto (2000) and Quebec City (2002).

Proceedings of the workshops are published on CD-ROM.

Ordering information

An overview of the presentations is available on-line..