QL Plus Receives $25,000 Grant from the CTA Foundation to Advance Assistive Technology Innovation
McLean, VA (April 22, 2025) — QL Plus, a national nonprofit that connects student engineers with injured veterans and first responders to design innovative assistive devices, is proud to announce that it was selected by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)Ⓡ Foundation’s Board of Trustees to receive a 2025 grant of $25,000. The grant will support the development of new technologies that improve mobility, independence, and quality of life for veterans and first responders with disabilities and injuries.
The CTA Foundation, affiliated with the Consumer Technology Association—the organization behind the annual CES® trade show in Las Vegas—is dedicated to supporting accessible technologies and empowering older adults and individuals with disabilities. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation helps bring life-changing innovations to market by funding organizations that blend engineering, entrepreneurship, and compassion.
“Technology has the power to unlock independence,” said Mark Robbins, Executive Director of QL Plus. “This grant from the CTA Foundation allows us to scale our impact and support a new generation of engineers who are building custom devices that meet the real-life needs of veterans and first responders living with injuries and disabilities that prevent them from living their lives to the fullest.”
Each year, QL Plus collaborates with top engineering schools across the country to design and build personalized devices at no cost to the recipient. They currently have partnerships with 25 universities, including Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado Boulder, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, San Diego State University, The University of Texas at Austin, and Old Dominion University.
Past QL Plus projects include:
One-handed bobsled for the U.S. Para Bobsled team
Voice-activated shifting device for an injured Marine Corps veteran’s hand cycle
Wheelchair tire cleaner for a disabled Army veteran’s garage
Weightlifting hook for an injured Navy veteran’s workout routine
“We’re thrilled to support QL Plus and their mission to empower our nation’s heroes through innovation,” said Stephen Ewell, Executive Director of the CTA Foundation. “Their model of student-led engineering for good is exactly the kind of impact the CTA Foundation aims to support.”
About the CTA Foundation
The CTA Foundation is a public, national foundation affiliated with The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, the owner and producer of CES®, the world's most powerful tech event . The foundation’s grants strategically support programs that improve the lives of seniors and people with disabilities. Because we consider grants part of a partnership, we work closely with our grantees to ensure their programs’ success. The foundation also facilitates dialogue among industry, consumers, government, advocacy groups and other key stakeholders. Recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2009, and it started supporting its first programs in 2012. To see our 990 filings, visit our Guidestar listing page.
About QL Plus
The Quality of Life Plus Program (QL Plus) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of injured and disabled veterans and first responders through innovative, custom-engineered solutions. By partnering with leading engineering programs, QL Plus empowers the next generation of engineers to create life-changing assistive technology for those who have served. Learn more at www.qlplus.org.
