After reading a 1981 newspaper article about the communication challenges facing a local woman with cerebral palsy, UMass Dartmouth computer engineering professor Les Cory was inspired to build her a solution. At that time, the only way Linda Texceira (pictured at right with her parents and Professor Cory) could communicate was to spell out words by shifting her eye gaze to “select” individual letters on a Plexiglas board designed by her father. That summer, Cory and fellow UMD engineering professor Phil Viall designed a custom computer system that enabled Linda to write sentences, use a telephone, and “speak” for the first time in her life with the help of an electronic voice synthesizer—all by operating a single switch.

The story of Linda’s transformative technology was highlighted in numerous publications, sparking a flurry of similar requests for computer systems customized to the needs of clients with a wide range of diagnoses, including Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), muscular dystrophy and traumatic brain injury. To keep pace with this growing demand, Cory and Viall recruited additional engineers, students and volunteers to expand their service team and fundraising efforts. Pioneers in the emerging field of rehabilitation engineering, Cory, Viall and university colleague Professor Rick Walder formed the Society for Human Advancement through Rehabilitation Engineering Foundation, Inc. (SHARE Foundation) in 1982. Since its inception, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit has facilitated communication and independent living for thousands of children and adults.