Kevin Berner is a registered and licensed occupational therapist (OTR/L) and certified assistive technology professional (ATP) through the Rehabilitation Engineering Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA). He is an assistant professor in Occupational Therapy at MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Dr. Berner comes to the Institute from Boston University where he received Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees and served as faculty in both the entry-level and post-professional OTD programs.

Dr. Berner’s clinical area of specialty is in assistive technology, accessibility and neurological rehabilitation. He had most recently worked clinically in school based practice, and has engaged in practice in acute rehabilitation, long-term care and community environments. Dr. Berner has presented at local and national conferences and several institutions of higher education on assistive technology and rehabilitation. He is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Coalition of Occupational Therapists Advocating for Diversity (COTAD). Dr. Berner is interested in accessibility, assistive technology, neurological rehabilitation and interprofessional practice.

  • BS, Human Physiology, Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
  • MS, Occupational Therapy, Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College
  • PP-OTD, Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College

Research Interests

  • Assistive technology and occupation
  • Accessibility and universal design
  • Independence in daily living
  • Neurological rehabilitation

Presentations

Berner, K., Espiritu, T., Salz, J. & Harris, E. Mainstream home automation devices for maximizing independence for individuals with physical disabilities. 2020 American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Expo. (March 28, 2020; conference canceled).

Berner, K. Free speech: Speech recognition as a solution across platforms for unlikely users. 2019 American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Expo. New Orleans, LA (April 6, 2019). 

Berner, K. Poster Presentation: Developing a best-practice, outcome-oriented interprofessional assistive technology services program at a community-based organization. American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration, Philadelphia PA (March 31, 2017).

Berner, K. & Espiritu, T. Free speech: Using speech recognition as a solution across platforms with unlikely users. Tech Access Annual Conference, Warwick, RI. (November 18, 2016).

Berner, K., Practical application of assistive technology across the continuum of care. Annual Conference for the Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy, Norwood MA (October 26, 2012).

Berner, K. Assistive technology in pediatrics. (in press). In A. Wagenfeld and J. Hollenbeck. Foundations of pediatric practice for the occupational therapy assistant, third edition. SLACK Inc. Thorofare, NJ.

Berner, K. & Alves, A. N. (2021). A scoping review of the literature using speech recognition technologies by individuals with disabilities in multiple contexts. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2021.1986583

Berner, K. (2016). Outcomes of assistive technology services in a community-based organization. Doctoral Project Manuscript, Boston University, Boston.

Contact Information