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ATLAS |
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Assistive
Technology Laboratory at Stanford |
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Technology
and design benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the
local community |
January 27, 2016 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course, Perspectives in Assistive
Technology.
This issue invites you
to attend the next class session and is the last call for vendor
participation in the course's assistive technology
faire.
Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter
Quarter Stanford course - now in its tenth year - that explores the design,
development, and use of assistive technology that benefits people with
disabilities and older adults. The schedule
consists of semi-weekly classroom discussions; lectures by
notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; tours
of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; an assistive
technology faire; and a film screening.
Next class
session - Thursday, January 28th at 4:30pm (new starting time):
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Designing Beyond the Norm to
Meet the Needs of All People Peter W.
Axelson, MSME, ATP, RET Beneficial
Designs, Inc.
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Abstract: Peter will talk about the difference
between Universal, Adaptable, and Adaptive design. Peter was the first
undergraduate using a wheelchair for mobility to live on the Stanford campus in
1976 when accessibility issues were just beginning to be addressed. Those
experiences and the desire to participate in the same physical activities as
every other college student who had professional and recreational interests
shaped his career as a designer. Peter will share how his interests spawned the
creation of Beneficial Designs, Inc to support the development of personal,
activity specific and environmental technologies for people of all abilities.
His experience in obtaining Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants to
develop and functionally assess products, services and the designs of outdoor
environments, has provided many opportunities for he and his staff to change
the way people with impairments of all kinds are able to participate in all
aspects of life activity. His company works toward universal access through
research, design and education to enable persons of all abilities to
participate in the physical, intellectual and spiritual aspects of
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Biosketch: Peter Axelson is a
rehabilitation engineer who sustained a spinal cord injury in a 1975 climbing
accident while in the Air Force Academy. He continued his education at Stanford
University, where he began applying engineering and design principles to
overcome daily living hurdles faced by people with disabilities. In 1981 he
founded Beneficial Designs, Inc. an engineering design firm dedicated to
designing, developing, and testing assistive technologies. His accomplishments
include developing the first chairlift-compatible mono-ski with a shock
absorber, working to establish wheelchair testing standards, developing seating
systems for wheelchairs, and creating a system to assess trails that will
improve access to outdoor trails for people of all
abilities.
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Peter is the founder and the Director of Research and
Development of Beneficial
Designs and spends much of his time traveling throughout the world
attending meetings and presenting his work. He's also a pilot and avid
mono-skier.
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Attend a lecture -
Course lectures will be held on Tuesdays
and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:50pm and are open
to the greater Stanford community. You are most welcome to sit in on class
sessions that interest you. You need not be a Stanford student and there is no
required signup, enrollment, or charge. The class will meet in a large, tiered,
accessible classroom on campus in the Thornton Center, adjacent to the Terman
Fountain and near the Roble Gym, the same venue as last year. Here are the
parking options, maps, and directions to
the classroom. |
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Did you miss a
lecture? - Course lectures are posted on YouTube. To find the links,
browse to the Lecture Schedule webpage,
scroll down and click on the lecture of interest. Near the bottom of the page
you will see the Lecture Material section which has links to the slides,
photos, weblinks, and lecture video. |
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Last Call to Participate in the
Assistive Technology Faire - This fourth annual course event will
once again 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 the course instructor 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 starts at 4:30pm on Thursday, February 4th just outside
the classroom, Thornton
110.
Here are photos
from last year's event. |
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Would you like to 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 Team Project Support
webpage for more information.
Do you have a question,
comment, or suggestion? - If you have general questions, comments,
or suggestions about the course, David L. Jaffe, MS, the instructor, can
be reached by email or at
650/892-4464. Thank you again for your interest in the course.
Dave
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please email
Dave. |
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