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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, 2015    
2 columns of images relating to assistive technology
Perspectives is the 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.

Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course in its ninth season 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; and an assistive technology faire. Much more information can be found on the course website.

Attend a lecture - You are invited to sit in on class lectures that interest you. They are open to the greater Stanford community - you need not be a Stanford student and there is no required signup, enrollment, or charge. They will once again be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 to 5:30pm in a large tiered, accessible classroom on campus in the Thornton Center (Classroom 110) 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.

clip art of a lecture

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

photo of Debbie Kenney


Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine
Deborah E. Kenney, MS, OTR/L
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery - Stanford University

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 working with stroke survivors and hand patients for the last 25 years. She currently splits her time, as a researcher, between Stanford and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She has collaborated on numerous design / development research projects with both engineers as well as with graduate, medical, and undergraduate students. Her work includes 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 researching problems of hand rehabilitation and treatment related to post surgical pain and thumb arthritis and continues to develop novel treatments for post-stroke survivors privately in the community.

Upcoming class sessions:

Attend the Aging In Place Technologies Meetup Event: Aging Parents, Robots, and Virtual Visits - Transport yourself to this Meetup event on Wednesday, January 21st to interact with the Suitable Technologies' Beam Smart Presence System and listen to a presentation by Richard Caro about the telepresence robot he designed to virtually visit his geographically remote mother.

Suitable Technologies Robot Showfloor
425 University Ave. (map)
Palo Alto, CA
6:30 - 9pm
7:15-7:45pm for the presentation
Bean robot

Participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This third 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 4:15pm on Thursday, February 19th just outside the classroom, Thornton 110.

Here are Dave's and Arne's photos from last year's Faire.

clip art of a faire

Do you have a question or comment? - 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.

Dave

2 rows of images of course presenters and community members

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