Design, Technology , and Engineering benefitting individuals
with disabilities and older adults in the local community |
January 22, 2020 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course, Perspectives in Assistive
Technology.
Designing Beyond the Norm to
Meet the Needs of All People
This issue invites you to attend the next class session and
encourages your participation in the course's Assistive Technology
Faire.
Perspectives in Assistive
Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - entering its
fourteenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of
assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults.
It consists of semi-weekly classroom discussions; lectures by
notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; tours
of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; student project
presentations and demonstrations; an Assistive Technology Faire; and a
film screening. |
Next class session -
Thursday, January 23rd at 4:30pm
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Designing Beyond the Norm to
Meet the Needs of All People Peter W.
Axelson, MSME, ATP, RET Beneficial
Designs, Inc. |
Abstract: Peter will
speak 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 life.
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,
improving seating systems for wheelchairs, and creating a system to assess
trails that will improve access to outdoor trails for people of all
abilities.
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.
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 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. The full schedule can be
found here |
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Same 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. |
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You are invited
to participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This
eighth 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 20th in the
Lathrop Library, Classroom 282.
Here is the program,
slides, and
Matteo's,
Krystina's &
my photos from last year's
Faire. |
Upcoming class sessions:
Ongoing local event:
SOMArts proudly announces the second
exhibition in the 10th Curatorial Residency season. Curated by Vanessa Chang
and Lindsey D. Felt, Recoding CripTech reimagines enshrined notions of
what a body can be or do through creative technologies, and how it can move,
look, or communicate.
Working with a broad understanding of
technology, from prosthetic tools to the built environment, this
multidisciplinary community art exhibition explores how disability - and
artists who identify as such - can redefine design, aesthetics, and the
relationship between user and interface. Exhibiting artists engage with
technology in manifold ways from conception to production and beyond. As the
term "crip" reclaims the word for disability culture and recognizes disability
as a cultural and political identity, so too do artists hack technologies to
make them more accessible and inclusive.
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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
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please email
Dave. |
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