Perspectives is the newsletter of the Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

Early September Course Update

This issue describes course planning for the next academic year.

Early September Course Update

Here are my continuing thoughts on teaching elements for the Perspectives in Assistive Technology course in the coming academic year. Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions.

Contents:

1. Class sessions
2. Enrollment Options for Students
3. Class Session Schedule
4. Virtual Assistive Technology Faire
5. Projects
6. Students
7. Other
8. What community members can do

1. Class sessions:

Class sessions will consist of two elements:

1. Presentations by the instructor that consists of administrative announcements and an instructional module related to assistive technology, disability, or design process. Here is a list of modules from Winter 2020:

• Overview of Accessibility - How this design feature relates to products, with many examples
• Ethical / Moral Dilemmas Related to Disability
• Assistive Robotics - Robotic technology benefitting people with disabilities and older adults
• In the News - New Assistive Technology products and research
• Vintage Assistive Technology - Products and devices from the past
• Ten Commandments of Making - Adam Savage's Maker Faire video
• The Upside of Failure - Learning from prototypes that didn't work
• Who is Disabled? - Making determinations with limited information
• Video Theatre - Watch and discuss videos of new products and prototypes
• Product Pricing - What goes into making and selling an Assistive Technology device
• Innovative Marketing Metrics - How we use words to measure and advertise
• Famous people with disabilities - Focus on TV characters

Notes
• Not all these topics will be presented.
• Students will be asked to suggest additional topics.
• Community members will be invited to attend these sessions.
• These presentations will be conducted online via Zoom and will be available for students taking the course either synchronously (participating online in real time) or asynchronously (viewing a video).

2. Presentations by a Guest Lecturer on a topic related to assistive technology. Here are the guest lecturers and their topics from Winter 2020:

• David L. Jaffe, MS - Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive Technology
• Project Pitches & Team Formation - Assistive Technology Project Suggestors
• Gayle Curtis - Creating Assistive Technologies - Understanding the Problem
• Deborah E. Kenney, MS OTR/L - Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine
• Stanford Students with a Disability - Perspectives of Stanford Students with a Disability
• Peter W. Axelson, MSME ATP RET - Designing Beyond the Norm to Meet the Needs of All People
• Alice Sheppard - Problems of Adaptive Aesthetics and Design
• Gary M. Berke, MS CP FAAOP - Issues of Human Interface Design
• Olenka Villarreal, Jill Asher, and Jay Gluckman - Field Trip to the Magical Bridge Playground
• Katherine Strausser, PhD - The Design and Control of Exoskeletons for Rehabilitation
• Matteo Zallio, PhD - Improving Indoor Environments for Older Adults
• Sha Yao - From Idea to Market: Eatwell, Assistive Tableware for Persons with Cognitive Impairments
• Various Vendors - Assistive Technology Faire
• Graham H. Creasey, MD, FRCSEd - Field Trip to VA Palo Alto Spinal Cord Injury and Brain Injury Services
• Steven H. Collins, PhD - Designing Exoskeletons and Prosthetic Limbs that Enhance Human Performance
• Film Screening - Film Screening - Fixed: The Science / Fiction of Human Enhancement
• Ralf Hotchkiss - Wheelchair Fabrication in Developing Countries
• Student Project Presentations

Notes:
• Additional Guest Lecture sessions may be added for Winter 2021
• Not all these lectures will be offered in the coming academic year.
• These presentations will be available for students taking the course either synchronously (participating online in real time) or asynchronously (viewing a video).

2. Enrollment Options for Students:

Perspectives in Assistive Technology will be offered with two enrollment options:

1. One credit unit:

   Attend at least 15 Instructor and Guest Lecturer presentations including the first class session: David L. Jaffe, MS - Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive Technology

   • Enrolled students may attend class sessions synchronously (participating online in real time) or asynchronously (viewing a video).
   • Grading will be Credit / No Credit.

2. Two credit units:

1. Attend at least 15 Instructor and Guest Lecturer presentations including:

   • Tuesday, Week 1: David L. Jaffe, MS - Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive Technology
   • Thursday, Week 1 Project Pitches & Team Formation - Assistive Technology Project Suggestors
   • Tuesday, Week 2: Gayle Curtis - Creating Assistive Technologies - Understanding the Problem
   • Tuesday, Week 6: Student Project Updates
   • Tuesday, Week 10: Student Project Presentations
   • Thursday, Week 10: Student Project Deonstrations

   Enrolled students may attend class sessions synchronously (participating online in real time) or asynchronously (reviewing a video).

2. Pursue a project involving:

   • Fabricating an assistive technology device that addresses a challenge experienced by a person with a disability or an older adult. Ideal projects should:

     • include an engineering component
     • include a fabrication component
     • directly benefit a person with a disability or older adult (rather than a company or organization)

   • Reporting on advances in assistive technology such as:

     • Neural implants, brain-computer interfaces
     • Prosthetics and orthotics
     • Robotics
     • Mobility products
     • Software products
     • Accessibility solutions

   • Reporting on a disability topic such as:

     • Disability and the Law
     • Disability in Film - including a Movie Report
     • Disability in Books - including a Book Report
     • Disability Activism - Disability Rights
     • Disability in Politics
     • Disability in Sports
     • Disability in the Arts and Music
     • Disability in Employment

   • Reporting on an assistive technology company or a disability / ageing service or advocacy group

3. Meet with instructor weekly to report project progress
4. Present and demonstrate project results in Week 10
5. Submit a final project report
6. Submit an Individual Reflection
7. Grading will be Letter Grade or Satisfactory / No credit

3. Class Session Schedule:

• Tue, Jan 12th - David L. Jaffe, MS - Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive Technology
• Thu, Jan 14th - Project Pitches & Team Formation - Assistive Technology Project Suggestors
• Tue, Jan 19th - Gayle Curtis - Creating Assistive Technologies: Understanding the Problem
• Tue, Feb 16th - Student Project Updates
• Tue, Mar 16th - Student Project Presentations
• Thu, Mar 18th - Student Project Demonstrations
• Other dates - Instructor and Guest Lecturer presentations to be scheduled

4. Virtual Assistive Technology Faire:

In past years, vendors of products and services have participated in a tradeshow style exhibition on campus. With the course being conducted online, there is the opportunity for a virtual Faire conducted in Zoom. At this time, I would like to gauge the interest in this. Please let me know if you might participate online with a product or service or a Show-n-Tell item related to assistive technology. If there are enough responders, I will schedule a date and time for the one-hour Zoom event.

5. Projects:

Student projects are an important course element. I am currently soliciting project suggestions from the readership of Perspectives. If you can identify a project challenge experienced by a real individual with a disability or an older adult, please send a brief email describing it.

6. Students:

Because most Stanford courses will be conducted online (with no reduction in tuition), as many as 20% of students may choose to take this year off.

7. Other:

The website for the coming academic year is being updated. I will announce when it is online.

8. What community members can do:

• Identify challenges / difficulties / problems affecting people with disabilities or older adults that could be addressed by a student project. Email me a brief description of the challenge.

• Plan to virtually attend class sessions starting Tuesday, January 12th.

• Inform me of your desire to participate in a Virtual Assistive Technology Faire as a vendor.

Email questions, comments, or suggestions - Please email me if you have general questions, comments, corncerns, or suggestions regarding the course. Thank you again for your interest.

Dave