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ATLAS

Assistive
Technology 
Laboratory
at
Stanford

 
 
Technology and design benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the local community
January 14, 2014  
two columns of photos related to assistive technology
Welcome to this edition of  Perspectives,
the e-newsletter of the Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.
This issue invites you to attend the next class session and
encourages your participation in the course's assistive technology faire.

What is the course? - Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter course at Stanford that explores the design, development, and use of assistive technology benefitting people with disabilities and older adults. Much more information can be found on the course website. Student enrollment in the course seems to have stabilized at 48.

Invitation to attend - You are invited to attend all class lectures. They will be held in the Thornton Center - Classroom 110 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 4:15 to 5:30pm and are free and open to the public.

Next class session - Thursday, January 16th at 4:15pm:

photo of Deborah Kenney


The Transdisciplinary Team: Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine
Deborah E. Kenney, MS, OTR/L
Stanford University, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and Foothill College


Abstract: Occupational therapists (OTs) are critical players in the transdisciplinary rehabilitation team. An OT's job is to help people, who because of illness, injury, or aging, have experienced a decrease in their ability to function independently in the areas of daily living, work, play, and leisure. Treatment by an OT often includes the prescription of assistive technology. This talk will focus on the aspects necessary to effectively fit the technology to the individual and support the use of this technology in the home environment, and the impediments to providing this.


Biosketch: Deborah Kenney has been an occupational therapist for the last 17 years, splitting her time between Stanford and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's Rehabilitation Research & Development (RR&D) Center where she collaborated on numerous design/development research projects with both engineers and graduate students. Her work has included testing and integrating technology into the rehabilitation setting with individuals with Parkinson's Disease, CVA (stroke), spinal cord injury, hand therapy, and balance problems related to aging. Ms. Kenney currently works with post-stroke survivors (REACH), coordinates a research project in Stanford Medical School's Department of Hand Surgery, and is also a frequent guest lecturer with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Santa Clara.


Upcoming class sessions:

Would you like to participate in the assistive technology faire? - This repeat event - scheduled for Tuesday, February 11th - will provide an opportunity for students and community members to get an up-close look at a variety of devices and learn about available services. If you are a vendor of assistive technology products or supply assistive technology services and would like to participate, please contact me. Everyone is welcome to attend the faire.

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.

Please contact me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the course and thank you again for your interest.

Dave

three rows of photos of individuals who participated in the course in 2013

Do you have a question or comment? - David L. Jaffe, MS, the course instructor, can be reached by email or at 650/892-4464.

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please email Dave.