Heather Feldner, MPT, PhD, PCS
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Heather Feldner is an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, core faculty in the Disability Studies Program, and an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Feldner is affiliate faculty in the Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD) and serves as a founding associate director of the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE). Dr. Feldner is a pediatric physical therapist whose research and outreach are situated at the intersections of rehabilitation, engineering and design, assistive technology, and disability studies.
Education and Training
- Marquette University, Bachelor of Science, Human Biology, 1998
- Marquette University, Master's in Physical Therapy, 2000
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Doctor of Philosophy, Disability Studies, 2016
- University of Washington, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mechanical Engineering, 2018
Board Certifications
- Pediatric Clinical Specialist Emeritus
Notable Awards
- 2025: Top 5 Articles in Rehabilitation Technology: “Quantifying joystick interactions and movement patterns of toddlers with disabilities using powered mobility with an instrumented Explorer Mini.” 79th Annual American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine Conference, New Orleans, LA. (Authors: Ingraham, Zaino, Feddema, Hoffman, Gijbels, Sinclair, Meltzoff, Kuhl, Feldner, Steele)
- 2022: Selected as the New Investigator Lecturer for the Annual Science in Medicine Symposium, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
- 2022: Blue Ribbon for Top 3 Posters in Social Responsibility: “Diversity and Equity Includes Disability: Developing a Disability Allyship Training Curriculum for Rehabilitation Education.” Health Policy and Administration Section Global Health Special Interest Group, American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, San Antonio, TX. (Authors: Feldner, Chamblin, Ellis, Evans, Harniss, Lee, Woiak)
- 2018: Blue Ribbon for Top 3 Posters in Social Responsibility: “Husky ADAPT (Accessible Design and Play Technology): An Innovative, Interdisciplinary Collaboration for Education, Outreach and Research.” Health Policy and Administration Section Global Health Special Interest Group, American Physical Therapy Association Combined Sections Meeting, New Orleans, LA. (Authors: Israel, Feldner, Nguyen, Goodwin, Mollica, Hendricks, Caspi, Steele)
Clinical Interests
Dr. Feldner’s clinical interests include the provision of family-centered pediatric physical therapy services, seating and mobility technology provision, and environmental accessibility and modification.
Teaching Interests
Dr. Feldner’s teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that excellence in multidisciplinary research and clinical translation must be conveyed to students through excellence in teaching. A lecture or course becomes successful when students actively explore and critically evaluate not only scientific evidence, but also their own biases and situated knowledge, especially considering multiple perspectives of health and disability.
She enjoys teaching principles of disability studies, accessibility and inclusive design, assistive technology, pediatric physical therapy, psychosocial issues in rehabilitation practice, and qualitative and participatory research methods.
Research Interests
Dr. Feldner is the director of the IMPACT Collaboratory within the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. IMPACT (Igniting Mobility, Play, and Access for Children with Technology) is a multidisciplinary lab space with a mission to foster sustainable community partnerships and empower people with disabilities across the lifespan and their families as experts in their own lives and to engage as co-researchers in all projects. Her lab explores the intersections of rehabilitation, engineering, design, and social justice using a disability studies lens. Dr. Feldner partners with people with disabilities, clinicians, and researchers across the US and globally to create meaningful research questions, studies, and technology designs that bridge disciplines and contribute important insights into issues such as self-initiated mobility and play, accessibility, inclusive design, ableism in healthcare education and practice, participation and health, and low to high technology solutions.
Labs/Centers
- IMPACT Collaboratory
- The University of Washington Disability Studies Program
- The Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE)
- IHDD