ICVR 2021

The international conference on virtual rehabilitation is taking place on July 14-16, 2021 in Location, City, Country

Key Dates

Abstracts

Poster Submission deadline:  May 30, 2021
Abstract Submission deadline: April 19, 2021
Symposia Proposal deadline: April 19, 2021
Accepted Symposia abstract deadline: June 21, 2021

Registration

Regular pricing deadling: July 11, 2021
Presenters must register by: July 1, 2021 

Conference

Conference starts: July 14, 2021
Conference ends: July 16, 2021

Committees

Conference Committee

General Co-Chairs
W. Geoffrey Wright
Anouk Lamontagne

Program Committee Co-Chairs

Gerald Fluet (lead)
Tal Krasovsky
Marika Demers
Maxime Roberts

Proceeding Chairs

Desiderio Cano Porras
Teresa Paulino

Web and Communications Committee

Anjali Sivaramakrishnan
Martine Bordeleau
Hristiyan Kourtev

Awards Committee Co-Chairs

Sandeep Subramanian
Tamar Weiss

Registration

Registration Cost:
  • $50 Trainee (Student*) Member†
  • $75 Trainee (Student*) Non-member^
  • $100 Regular Member†
  • $125 Regular Non-member^

These prices are guaranteed only until July 11th.

*Proof of student status will be validated.
†Membership will be verified.
^Save money by clicking here and becoming a member now (2-year membership for $50 Regular and $25 for Students). You will not only save money on ICVR2021, but also for ICDVRAT, RehabWeek2021, and RehabWeek2022!

*All accepted presenters in symposia and poster session should register by July 1st to confirm your spot in the program.

Program

ICVR Program:

All times in Eastern Standard Time, EST

-3 Pacific Standard Time, PST (North America)-1 Central Standard Time, CST (North America)

+5 Universal Time, UTC (Europe)

+7 Israel Standard Time, IST

10:00AM     Opening Conference Announcements

10:30AM     Keynote: Brad McFadyen – “How our environment moves us: anticipatory locomotor adjustments and the role of immersive technology to study, evaluate and train them”

11:30AM     Break

11:45AM     Symposium 1:  The use of virtual reality and associated technologies for enhanced ecological validity in neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation

1:30PM        Break

1:45PM        Symposium 2:  Developing Immersive Vestibular Rehabilitation Tools:  Hardware Comparison, Software   Refinement, and Lessons Learned

3:30PM        Closing Daily Announcements

10:00AM     Opening Daily Announcements

10:15AM     Symposium 3: High time for “high-level” tests in VR: Developments of integrative multimodal VR assessments

12:00PM      Break

12:30PM      Keynote: Judy Pa – “Using Virtual Reality to Promote Brain Health in Older Adults”

1:30PM        Break

1:45PM        Virtual Poster Session (10 minute break 2:25-2:35pm)

3:15PM        Symposium 4: Untangling Virtual Reality and Video Game Definitions: Discussion of Unifying Terminology

5:00PM        End of day

8:30AM       Symposium 5: Adoption of technology-based clinical assessment and intervention: Implications for achieving greater clinical acceptance and influencing healthcare policy

10:15AM     Break

10:30AM     Keynote: Philippe Archambault – “Virtual reality for wheelchair skill training”

11:30AM     Awards and Closing Remarks (End by 12noon EST)

Attendee Information

Now that you have registered, we wish to share some important information it is important that you don’t forget the email address you registered under. To gain access to our conference web portal you will need to enter the email address you registered under, and then a One-Time Pin will be sent to that same email each time you want to enter the conference portal. Depending on whether you logged out or shut your computer down, you may need to log back in and use a new One-Time Pin. Please be advised, each registration can only be used by the person who registered and is non-transferable.

Please be advised, all the presentations will be presented in Zoom. Once inside the web-based conference portal, you will be able to access all presentations with one-click. It will make things easier if you have checked in advance to see if you can access Zoom (even a using a FREE account works) on the computer or smartphone that you will be using to attend the virtual conference. Here are some step-by-step instructions for getting into the conference portal:

  1. First, make sure you registered in EventBrite and paid for your ticket. This can be done at http://virtual-rehab.org/2021/registration/, which has the link to EventBrite.
  2. Once registered, there are two ways to get to the conference log-in screen and gain access. Both ways will require you to log in using the email address you registered under, since a One-Time Pin is immediately sent your email will then need to be entered.
    1. Go to the ICVR 2021 website (virtual-rehab.org/2021) and click the banner “ICVR 2021 Access – Click Here”
    2. The other way is use this address: https://cphapps.temple.edu/events/icvr2021, which will send you straight to the log-in page.
  3. Once you are in the conference portal you will be able to navigate throughout the entire portal. The portal will give you one-click access to the following:
    1. An easy pull-down menu in the upper-right hand corner of the Conference Portal labeled “Sessions” will quickly take you to whichever part of the portal you wish to navigate to with a single click. There is also a “Search” field right next to it, where you can enter a name or term to quickly find all instances of that and then navigate to it with a click.
    2. By scrolling up and down in the portal, you can see when and who is speaking next, you can click on the presenter “card”. This will give you access to…
      1. information about the presenter.
      2. an abstract about their talk, by clicking the “PDF” icon up in the right hand corner of the card.
  • the presenter’s 1-minute overview video, by clicking the Video icon also up in the right hand corner of the card, or clicking the “Preview” button. Both do the same function.
  1. the “Join” button, which automatically takes you to the Zoom room when it is in session.
  1. Access to the Help Desk, which will connect you with a volunteer, who can answer your questions about the conference.
  2. Access to Discord.com which will open a parallel and synchronous discussion thread for all talks, posters, and for networking. You need only set up a free Discord account by following the attached Discord Set-up Instructions (Trust me, it only takes a minute to set up even if you are a technophobe, and costs nothing!).

Other important information that will help you prepare for the conference. Starting late on Sunday July 11th you will be able to access the conference portal if you have registered. Feel free to log onto the conference portal following the instructions above and get used to the easy-to-use web interface. Please note, that clicking into the Zoom rooms with the “Join” button, will lead to an empty room until the day of the conference.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any one of us (contact info below) or icvrprogram@gmail.com.

Code of Conduct

By-Laws of the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation (Articles of Incorporation)

As amended at a meeting of the Board of Directors on February 7, 2012

Proposed revisions January 7, 2013

Proposed revisions November 23, 2017

Amended at a meeting of the Board of Directors on December 9, 2019

Terminology

Within the scope of these Bylaws, the following terms apply:

  • “Virtual Rehabilitation” is understood as all forms of clinical intervention (physical, occupational, cognitive, or psychological) that are based on, or augmented by, the use of virtual reality, augmented reality and computing technology. The term applies equally to interventions performed locally or at a distance (tele-rehabilitation).
  • “Society” is understood as meaning the International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation, Inc.

Article I. PURPOSE

Section I-1. Purpose

The International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation has as its main purpose the encouragement of research, education, advocacy, and collaboration between researchers, clinicians, industry partners, and policy makers with regard to virtual rehabilitation and tele-rehabilitation.

Section II-2. Exclusion

The International Society for Virtual Rehabilitation is organized exclusively for educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws, the Society shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by a corporation exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501.c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future tax code.

No part of the net earnings of the Society shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. No substantial part of the activities of the Society shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

 

Article II. MEMBERSHIP

Section II-1. Membership categories

Membership in the Society shall be open to all persons, organizations, or other entities interested in the field of virtual rehabilitation and/or tele-rehabilitation as defined by the membership categories below, upon application to the Membership Chair followed by remittance of membership dues to the Treasurer as hereinafter provided.

Membership in the society is on a two-year basis from the date of registration and payment of dues.  Continuing membership shall require payment of renewal dues every two years. Membership will be revoked if the dues are not paid by 30 days after the due date.

Membership Categories include:

  • Regular MembershipOpen to any individual person with a professional degree (Bachelors or Higher) working in a research, educational, commercial, or clinical environment, and directly or indirectly concerned with Virtual Rehabilitation (VR) and/or Tele-rehabilitation (VRT). Regular Membership entitles the holder to vote in all elections and hold office during the period of their membership.
  • Student Membership: Open to any individual with full-time student status at a recognized degree-granting institution. A letter from the Dean’s Office or Faculty Staff, or a scanned valid student ID, certifying full-time student status must be submitted on initial application and renewal of membership. Student Membership does not carry voting privileges.
  • Corporate Membership: Open to any corporate entity that designs, produces or provides products or services relating to VR or VRT and wishes to participate in the activities of the Society. Corporate Membership does not carry voting privileges.
  • Clinical Membership: Open to current clinicians interested in the clinical application of virtual reality technology in patient care. Clinician membership is FREE for the first year and entitles the holder to vote in all elections. Clinician status must be submitted on initial application and renewal of membership, and verified by a letter attesting to Professional Employment status or Professional Association Membership number.
  • User Membership: Open to any user of virtual rehabilitation or tele-rehabilitation or family member who wishes to participate in the activities of the Society. User Membership does carry voting privileges for the period of their membership.

Section II-2.  Rights of Members

Each member with voting privileges shall be entitled to one (1) vote on any question requiring a vote of the membership of the organization. Membership will entitle an individual to attend society-affiliated conferences and other events at a reduced fee to be determined by the conference organizer. Regular and User members are eligible to serve as Trustees and/or on the Board of Directors, or other ad-hoc committees, upon election or by appointment by the President.

 

Article III. MEETINGS

Section III-1. Annual Meeting

Annual meetings of the Society shall be held on dates and at locations decided on by the Board of Directors. All members shall be notified in writing/email, not less than six months before each Annual Meeting. Meetings will typically be held in conjunction with a society-affiliated conference. Board members who are unable to attend in person will be permitted to contribute electronically.

Section III-2. Society Conferences

The Society shall support and promote scientific conferences relevant to its purpose. The Board of Directors, upon recommendation of the Secretary, will determine whether to agree to a Memorandum of Understanding with such conferences.

The founding conferences of the Society, the International Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies (ICDVRAT) and International Conference on Virtual Rehabilitation (ICVR), will be designated as ISVR Conferences and will be maintained as the principal annual conferences of the Society. ICVR is recognized as the Society’s official conference and the ICVR steering committee is an integral part of the ISVR committee structure Both ISVR Conferences  will maintain a close cooperative partnership with the Society to co-promote the professional aims of the Society.

Conferences with which Memoranda of Understanding are established will be designated ISVR Affiliated Conferences upon written request from their governing bodies.

Section III-3. Special General Membership Meetings

In extraordinary circumstances, a general membership meeting may be called if at least 5 members of the Board of Directors petition the President of the Society. Within two weeks of such a petition, the President shall notify the general membership of the time and location of an extraordinary meeting that must be held within two months of the date of the announcement.

 

Article IV. DUES AND FEES

Section IV-1. Establishment of Dues and Fees

Dues and fees for each category of membership shall be set and reviewed biennially and may be modified periodically by the Board of Directors.

Section IV-2. Use of Dues and Fees

The dues and any other fees collected by the Society shall be used only for legitimate expenses associated with the Society to be determined by the Board of Directors, as described in Section II-2.

 

Article V. DISSOLUTION

Section V-1. Distribution of assets upon dissolution.

Upon the dissolution of the Society, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposed or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

 

Article VI. OFFICERS

Section VI-1. Officers and Their Terms

Officers of the Society shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chairs, each of whom shall serve for a term of three years, without compensation. No individual shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. Terms of office shall begin on January 1st of the year following an election.

1.1 Responsibility.

All officers are responsible for reporting on their actions to the Board of Directors as requested by the President. The President shall call Board meetings at least on a quarterly basis. If more than two quarterly meetings of the Board are missed, the Chair may be replaced by majority vote of the Board of Directors.

1.2 Termination of Duties of an Officer

Officers shall normally serve their full term. In exceptional circumstances, an officer may be removed from office by a majority vote of voting membership. Each officer shall, upon the expiration of his/her term, or the termination of duties for any other reason, deliver to the successor the records of office.

Section VI-2. Executive Officers

2.1 President

The President shall preside at annual meetings of the membership and quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors and shall perform the recognized functions of the office. To ensure continuance of society actions and historical knowledge, the President shall be elected from a current or previous board member, will serve one 3-year term as President and one 3-year term as Past President.

2.2 Vice-President

The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President and shall perform the recognized functions of the office. If the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall automatically become President for the remaining period of the term of the President. To ensure continuance of society actions and historical knowledge, the Vice President shall be elected from a current or previous board member, and subject to confirmation through election, will normally succeed as President for a further 3-year term.

2.3 Past President

To insure continuance of society actions and historical knowledge, the Past President shall advise the incoming President.

2.4. Secretary

The Secretary shall give notification of the date, time and place of meetings of the Board of Directors of the Society, and keep the minutes of all meetings of the Board of Directors, the annual meetings and any extraordinary meetings of the Society. The Secretary shall prepare such directives and other documents as are needed and authorized by the Board of Directors.

2.5 Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep and maintain accurate accounts of the transactions of the Society, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, and disbursements. The Treasurer shall deposit all moneys and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the Society with such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. He or she shall disburse the funds of the Society as may be ordered by the Board, shall render to the President and Directors, whenever they request it (but no less than twice/fiscal year), an account of all his or her transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Society, and shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors or the Bylaws. For purposes of reporting, the Society fiscal year coincides with the calendar year.

2.6 Vacancies in an Executive Office

A vacancy in the office of President, Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer may be filled temporarily by an appointment made at a meeting of the Board of Directors. A person thus appointed will serve the remainder of the unexpired year’s portion of the term until the next Society annual meeting or until ratification vote of the membership is held. If the appointed person is ratified, he or she will serve the remainder of the 3-year term of office.

Section VI-3. Standing Chairs

3.1 Roles.

The Board shall determine the need for Standing Chair positions, who will be selected amongst the current Board. These Standing Chairs will be supported through a sub-committee when appropriate.

3.2 Responsibility.

All Standing Chairs are responsible for reporting on their actions to the Board of Directors as requested by the President. If more than two quarterly meetings of the Board are missed, the Standing Chair may be replaced by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Standing Chairs include: Communications and Public Relations, Publications and Standards, Membership and Nominations, and Awards. The Board may appoint other Standing Chairs as needed on an ad-hoc basis. These roles and responsibilities are defined in the Society Policies document.

3.3 Vacancies in a Chairs Office

A vacancy in Chairs may be filled by an appointment by the President. A person thus appointed will serve the remainder of the unexpired portion of the term until a ratification vote of the Board is held. If the appointed person is ratified, he or she will serve the remainder of the 3-year term of office.

 

 

Article VII. GOVERNING BODY

Section VII-1. The Board of Directors

All official business shall be conducted by the Board of Directors of the Society, consisting of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Standing Chairs of Committees and elected Board members of the Society.

There is no limit in the number of Board members, save that there should be sufficient to fulfill the executive function of the society.

Section VII-2. Membership of the Board

A member of the board is elected for a 3-year term. This term is extendible for a further three years by a vote of the Board. There is no limit to the number of terms served by a member of the Board; however, they must stand for re-election every 6 years. An exception is the president, who upon finalizing their term duties, will stay for another 3-year term as past president to ensure continuity. Terms shall be based upon the calendar year and shall begin on January 1st of the year following an election.

Only regular members of the Society shall be eligible for election to the Board of Directors. Board Members shall serve without compensation.

Section VII-3. Board of Directors Role

Each member of the Board of Directors agrees to maintain the Society by supporting the roles of each officer of the Society, vote on issues in a timely fashion, identify actions that need to be taken for sustaining the Society, serve on task forces as appointed by the President. Failure to comply with these responsibilities may result in removal from the Board as stated in Section VII-7.

Section VII-4. Vacancies on the Board of Directors

A vacancy on the Board of Directors shall be filled by the appointment of another eligible member by the Board of Directors. In the event that a vacancy persists until the end of a calendar year, the office shall be filled by a vote of the members at the yearly election. A Board Member thus appointed or elected shall hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term.

Section VII-5. Meetings of the Board of Directors

There shall be an annual meeting of the Board of Directors at the time and place of the annual meeting of the sponsored conferences and quarterly meetings held electronically. Additional meetings may be called by the President or, in his/her absence or inability, by the Vice President. A special meeting of the Board may be called by at least five members of the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall give adequate notification of the date, time and place of the meetings of the Board of Directors to each Board Member. Meetings may be alternately held via the Internet.

Section VII-6. Quorum of the Board of Directors

The presence (physical or virtual) of five members of the Board shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Every act or decision by a majority of the Board present at a meeting duly held, at which a quorum is present, shall be regarded as a valid act of the Board of Directors.

Section VII-7. Removal of a Board Member

Any Board member may be removed from the Board by a majority vote of the Board, on recommendation of the President. The vacancy so created will be filled as specified in Section 3 above.

Section VII-8. Chief Executive Officer

A Chief Executive Officer (CEO) shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to oversee the corporate functions of the Society. This Officer may also serve as Treasurer. These functions shall include the filing of tax and corporate status documents with the Secretary of State of the State of New Jersey, and the United States Internal Revenue Service. The CEO shall act as the official Officer of Record for the Society and shall have the authority and support of the Board of Directors and the Society as a whole in these fiscal and reporting matters.

The CEO, as appointed by the Board of Directors, shall serve in this capacity for a period of three years. The Board of Directors may reappoint a serving CEO for a following term of office. There is no limit to the number of terms the CEO serves.

The Board will ensure that the non-profit status is maintained in appointment of the CEO (see Article XIV, Section 2).

 

Article VIII. ELECTIONS

Section VIII-1. Notice of Election

A call for the nomination of candidates will be given at the yearly Society conference if required.

Section 2. Election Committee and Nomination Process

The President appoints an Election Committee consisting of the Chair of the Nominations Committee and three or more voting members. No more than two of the members of the Election Committee may be on the Board of Directors. The election committee will institute the process for obtaining nominations. After the deadline for receipt of nominations, the Election Committee shall report the names of the nominees to the President who have been selected and have agreed to stand for election as new directors and officers.

Based on a precedent established in 2012, following the nomination procedure, the slate of candidates will be presented to the BOD who will or will not approve of each nominee. Approval will consist of a candidate receiving a minimum of 50% approval. The approved slate of nominees will be then submitted to the membership for a general membership vote.

The election committee will ensure that the non-profit status is maintained in its short listing of candidates for the posts of President, Vice President and Secretary regarding the citizenship of the committee (see Article XIV, Section 2).

Section VIII-3. Ballots

A ballot including the nominations shall be distributed to all members in good standing and returned to the Election Committee by a published date.

Section VIII-4. Election Procedure

Ballots shall be counted by the Election Committee. Candidates receiving the largest numbers of votes will be announced to the membership as elected. In case of a tie, a majority vote of the Board of Directors shall determine the outcome of the election.

 

Newly elected Directors and Officers shall take office at the beginning of the calendar year following the election.

 

 

Article IX. FISCAL YEAR

Section IX-1. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Society shall be the calendar year. Each year an Audit Committee will be appointed by the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee will examine the financial records of the Society and will report its findings in writing at the following Annual Conference.

Section IX-2. First Fiscal Year

First Society fiscal year was 2008. Start up costs were office supplies, postage, data backup, web fees, incorporation and other filing fees, and such.  Start up costs were supported by a donation of $10,000 from Rutgers University.

 

Article X. AMENDMENTS

Section X-1. Amendment Procedures

The Society Bylaws may be amended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Board of Directors.

 

Article XI. MEETING FORMALITIES

Section XI-1. Annual Meeting Agenda

The agenda for the annual meeting of the Society shall be agreed on by the Officers of the society prior to each meeting.

 

Article XII. SOCIETY RECORDS

Section XII-1. Society Records Requests

Meeting or Committee Meetings, and Financial Statements shall be available to any category of member upon written request to the Secretary. Any documents so provided will be in electronic form only.

Section XII-2. Society Web Site

The domain www.isvr.org was acquired by the society and will be renewed upon majority vote of the Board of Directors.

 

Article XIII. COMMITTEES

Section XIII-1. Committees

The President may establish standing and ad hoc committees as deemed necessary or as directed by the Board of Directors. The President shall prepare a written charge to the committee that will be approved by the Board of Directors as outlined in the Society’s Procedure document.

Section XIII-2. Implementation

The chairperson of each committee shall, with the approval of the Board, be appointed by the President and serve one year. An Ad Hoc chairperson whose term of office has expired shall continue to serve until a successor is appointed. A committee chairperson is limited to serving no more than four successive terms. Unless stated otherwise in these Bylaws, all committee members shall be members of the Society. Committee members shall be appointed by the respective committee chairperson and ratified by the Board of Directors. Subcommittees may be organized by committee chairpersons.

Section 2.1 Implementation of Standing Committees

A Standing Committee is established by the President and approved by vote of the Board. The Standing Committee Chair must be a Board member who is appointed by the President and approved by vote of the Board.

 

Article XIV. SOCIETY STATUS

Section XIV-1. Status

The Society is founded as a non-profit corporation based in the State of New Jersey, USA. The Society follows all laws and regulations pertaining to its non-profit status.  The Society is registered as a non-profit organization with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Section XIV-2. Executive Officers of the Society

For the purpose of non-profit status, the Executive Officers of the Society are identified in the roles of the President, the Secretary and the Chief Executive Officer. To satisfy the state laws governing non-profit organizations, it is a requirement that the majority of the Executive Officers be US citizens.