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The Research Roadshow continues to pave the way by bridging the gap of unequal access to technology among older adults and encouraging individuals to try using technological devices they are unfamiliar with.  

In 2021, CU's Multidisciplinary Center on Aging led the effort for CU Anschutz Medical Campus to become the fourth biomedical research institution in the world to achieve the designation as an Age-Friendly University. As part of this initiative, they launched traveling Research Roadshows. The goal of the roadshows is to engage older adults from geographically and culturally diverse communities to increase recruitment and retention of older adults in clinical trials. They hold one roadshow per quarter designed to reach older adults and their families in communities throughout Colorado.

One example of the kind of activity seen on a roadshow is testing assistive devices and technologies. Thanks to a partnership with the Center for Inclusive Design and Engineering, Research Roadshow participants can attend usability testing sessions on new assistive technologies. The roadshow attendees are encouraged to try products and devices under development by the research teams. This allows attendees to influence the development of products that can improve their own lives or the lives of those they know. These sessions draw the connection between how participants’ insights can inform the development of products so that they are more useful and beneficial to older adults. During these sessions, participation by older adults from diverse backgrounds is prioritized to collect the best data possible.

One other example of a Research Roadshow activity is bridging the digital divide of unequal access to technology among older adults. This digital divide is a social determinant to health and research participation. To address the divide, the roadshows offer computer literacy workshops designed specifically for older adult adults. These skill-building workshops are designed to improve computer literacy and promote access to information regarding clinical research. Workshop participants are able to practice navigating the new ADA-compliant CU Anschutz research studies website. This allows them to access information about research findings of interest and opportunities to participate in CU Anschutz clinical trials.