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

Needfinding and Assistive Technologies

This issue invites you to attend the next class session
and encourages your participation in the course's Assistive Technology Faire.

Course News

Updated Course Statistics - Forty students have now enrolled in the course: 27 pursuing a team project (with an additional 2 on the Wait List), 5 opting to work on an individual project, and 6 attending lectures.

Do you have a suggestion for a film about disabilty and assistive technology? - I am looking for suggestions for a film to screen on Tuesday, March 5th during classtime. The film must not be over 60 minutes in length and must be available on DVD for no or low cost.

Next class session of the thirteenth season - Tuesday, January 15th at 4:30pm
in a new venue - Lathrop Library Classroom 282

Abstract: When we look at the drivers of effective innovation we see two complementary themes emerging: First, new technologies or methods that open the way to new solutions, and second, new insights or experiences that yield a better understanding of the problem. With a design thinking approach, we begin by building empathy with the user and the situation, then we use ideation, prototyping, and iteration to explore, formulate, and test solutions.

In this class session we will look as ways to gain understanding of user needs, goals, and values around a problem, as well as the constraints and requirements of the situations around them. One goal for this session is for students to identify a set of questions to explore through interview and observation with real users of assistive technologies. Teams may also get some good ideas about the people they might approach for both inspiration and insight.

Biosketch: Gayle Curtis is a UX design consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in user interface architecture and design strategy for online ventures and interactive products. Recently he was Principal Interaction Designer at Yahoo!, where he also developed a practice area in strategic ideation and disseminated it through workshops in the US and Asia. At Stanford he taught courses in Human-Computer Interactions (HCI) and Product Design. Gayle is a graduate of the MS Engineering Product Design program at Stanford.

You are invited to attend this and all other class sessions - Class sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:50pm starting Tuesday, January 8th and are open to the greater Stanford community. You need not be a Stanford student to attend, no signup is required, and there is no charge.

New classroom! - The course will be held in classroom 282 in the Lathrop Library located at the corner of Lasuen Mall and Serra Mall, adjacent to Memorial Auditorium and the Oval. It seats as many as 150 people in a flexible and accessible space. Here is a webpage with maps, directions, and photos.

You are invited to participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This seventh annual course event will provide an opportunity for students and community members to get an up-close look at a variety of assistive technology devices and learn about available services. Users of assistive technology products as well as small companies and agencies serving individuals with disabilities and older adults are encouraged to bring assistive technology devices and information to display, demonstrate, and discuss. Please browse to the Call for Assistive Technology Faire Participants webpage and contact me if you would like to be a part of this event as a user or vendor of assistive technology products or services. Everyone is welcome to attend the Faire. The Faire will start at 4:30pm on Thursday, February 28th in the Lathrop Library, Classroom 282. Here are my photos from last year's Faire.

Other

Support the course - Funding in any amount for the course and student projects is always welcomed. Monetary gifts support approved project expenses, administrative costs, honoraria for guest lecturers, and the end-of-term celebration. Refer to the Course and Project Support webpage for more information.

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

Dave