Bosma to host Hasbrook Breakfast

Bosma hosts awards breakfast to advance autonomous vehicle conversation
Event also will honor Thomas C. Hasbrook Award winner  

Today, Bosma announced its annual Thomas C. Hasbrook awards breakfast will include a panel discussion with leaders in autonomous vehicle technology and research. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 10 at the Dallara IndyCar Factory and will feature special guest former IndyCar driver Sarah Fisher and emcee Terry Stacy from WIBC.

“Transportation is a challenge for people who are blind or visually impaired,” said Bosma President and CEO Jeffrey Mittman. “The future of autonomous technology may be a game changer. This panel discussion is an opportunity to hear from leaders in the field and will answer questions and accelerate innovation.”

The event will feature Dr. Jing Xu, research associate at Envision Research Institute; Clayton Nicholas, associate director and co-founder of the Transportation Autonomous and Systems Institute (TASI) at IUPUI and James Michaels, Bosma vice president of program services. The experts will deliver their thoughts on the state of autonomous technology and how these vehicles could impact the lives of people with disabilities.

In addition to the panelists, Bosma welcomes Fisher as the event’s special guest. Fisher retired from professional racing in 2015. She and her husband, Andy O’Gara, now own Whiteland Raceway Park and are partners in Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Development.

Bosma will also name the 2022 Hasbrook Award winner at the event. The award recognizes an individual who makes the world a better place for others no matter their ability.
Tickets, seats and sponsorships for the annual Hasbrook breakfast can be purchased here. Sponsorships start at the “Employee of the Month” level, which is $1,500 and includes admission to the Creating Opportunities Open House at Bosma Visionary Opportunities Foundation (BVOF). All ticket sales and sponsorship proceeds benefit BVOF, which provides essential training and employment programs for the blind and visually impaired.
“Philanthropic support fuels the success of our life-changing programs,” said Brandon Wells, executive director of BVOF. “Not only is our annual Hasbrook breakfast the ideal opportunity to learn about new technologies to aid people who are blind and visually impaired, but donations also spur research into new technologies and programs.”
More information about the Thomas C. Hasbrook breakfast can be found here. To learn more about Bosma, please visit www.bosma.org.

About Dr. Jing Xu
Dr. Xu holds a Ph.D. in industrial engineering and worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School. Her current research focuses on investigating the impact of vision loss on driving and exploring and evaluating new driver assistance technologies and self-driving car accessibility features to support safe mobility for road users who are blind or visually impaired. Among her many research projects, Dr. Xu has studied Tesla operation by a driver with vision impairment, perceived needs and preferences for advanced driver assistance systems by drivers with and without age-related macular degeneration and use of a tactile hazard warning device for drivers with central vision loss.

About Clayton Nicholas
Mr. Nicholas has more than 30 years of experience in engineering and leadership roles ranging from product design, operations, plant management, product-line assembly and advanced engineering. While at Delphi Electronics (now Aptiv), he led a global team focused on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle system components. He has received four patents and, in his work with TASI, leads the university-industry consortium with the mission to reduce fatal crashes via ADAS and autonomous vehicle systems. He also is director of the newly created Initiative for Electrified and Autonomous Mobility-University Center at IUPUI, whose mission is to help advance Indiana’s competitiveness in economic development by focusing on the equitable deployment of electrified and autonomous transportation systems. 

About James Michaels
Mr. Michaels is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who serves as the vice president of program services at Bosma. Prior to his work at Bosma, he worked for a number of organizations that serve people who are deaf or blind. He worked in residential services at the Indiana School for the Deaf and then took a position as the psychiatric social services specialist at the Indiana School for the Blind. Just before joining Bosma Enterprises, he spent three years at the state-run Bosma Rehabilitation Center as its counselor. In addition, he volunteers as the Chair of the Indiana Canine Assistance Network (ICAN) and is a former Chair of the State of Indiana’s Rehabilitation Commission as well as the Indianapolis Mayor’s Advisory Council of Disability.
 
About Bosma
Rooted in more than 100 years of history, Bosma is one of Indiana’s largest nonprofit organizations providing training and employment for people who are blind or visually impaired. Bosma Enterprises, the organization’s business entity, helps socially responsible companies with a focus on supplier diversity expand their sourcing options with high-quality goods and services. Bosma’s Center for Visionary Solutions, located in Indianapolis, served over 1,000 clients last year. Our experienced staff, more than half of whom are blind, offer personalized programs throughout Indiana, ranging from counseling to job placement and daily living skills training. These initiatives help adults gain the life skills they need to remain independent and the job skills they need to stay self-sufficient. Learn more by visiting bosma.org.