Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - embarking on its nineteenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. It consists of semi-weekly in-person discussions; lectures by notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; a tour of an accessible inclusive playground; student project presentations and demonstrations; and an Assistive Technology Faire. Students pursue team-based projects that address real challenges faced by people with disabilities and older adults living in the local community. Check out the course website.

Important Dates:

• Tuesday, January 6th - First class session of Perspectives in Assistive Technology

Current Instructor Tasks:

• Facilitate student enrollment

By the Numbers:

• 12 = Guest Lecturers scheduled
• 17 = Confirmed Team Projects (3 new & 14 renewed)
• 44 = Prospective Students
• 35 = Pre-Enrolled Students
• 28 = Enrolled Students
•  0 = Students on Wait List
•  9 = Maximum number of Team Projects
•  3 = Optimum number of team members
• 27 = Ideal number of students working on team projects (3 students per team)
•  4 = Confirmed Participants for Perspectives of Stanford Students and Faculty with a Disability
•  2 = Confirmed Exhibitors for the Assistive Technology Faire

Community Attendance - Community members are most welcome to attend class sessions on campus, enrollment is not required. There will not be a Zoom participation option this year.

Student Enrollment - As of today, 35 students have pre-enrolled and 28 have officially enrolled. Of those 28, 2 are Freshmen, 2 are Sophomores, 7 are Juniors, 11 are Seniors, and 6 are Graduate students, with 22 opting to work on team projects. Enrollment will be paused and a Wait List implemented when 5 additional students request enrollment in a team project, resulting in 9 equal teams of 3 members.

Tuesday, January 6th at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: This presentation will begin with an overview of the course including its objectives, credentials, structure, candidate projects, guest lectures, grading, and expected student experience. A brief introduction to Assistive Technology follows, touching on definitions, demographics, rehabilitation goals, perceptions, challenges, social correctness, and numerous examples of commercial products, research efforts, and past student projects.

Biosketch: David L. Jaffe holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Prior to coming to Stanford, Dave was a Research Biomedical Engineer at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's Rehabilitation Research and Development Center. His interests there were designing, developing, testing, and bringing to market microcomputer-based devices for veterans with disabilities including communication, mobility, and information systems. He worked on several VA assistive technology research projects including an powered wheelchair interface for individuals with quadriplegia, an electro-mechanical fingerspelling hand that served as a communication device for people who are deaf/blind, a system that explored virtual reality techniques to train individuals with gait deficits to improve their walking, and a project that employed a computer-based simulation system to assess and improve the driving ability of individuals after brain injury.

In addition to organizing this course, ENGR110/210: Perspectives in Assistive Technology, he contributes to other Stanford courses including defining the quarterly course projects in ME218: Smart Product Design and ME310: Engineering Design Entrepreneurship and Innovation as well as mentoring students working on assistive technology projects throughout the year.

Thursday, January 8th at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: Candidate team projects will be "pitched" by those who suggested them. Open time at the end of the presentations will enable students pursuing projects to connect with project suggestors. A listing of the projects with links to their descriptions can be found on the Project Pitch Day webpage.

• Tuesday, January 13th - Creating Assistive Technologies - Understanding the Problem
• Thursday, January 15th - Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine

Product manufactuers and service providers are invited to participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This fourteenth annual course event is scheduled for Thursday, February 19th and 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 join in on this event. Browse to the Call for Assistive Technology Faire Participants webpage for more information and contact me to register.

Everyone is welcome to attend this event. Here is the current line up and slides from last year's Faire.