Tuesday, March 3rd
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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 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, developing seating systems for wheelchairs, and
creating a system to assess trails that will improve access to outdoor trails
for people of all abilities.
Peter Axelson 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.
- Contact Information:
- Beneficial
Designs, Inc
- 775/783-8822
- peter -at- beneficialdesigns.com
- Lecture Material:
- Audio - 1:19:42 - 18.2 Mb
mp3 file
- Beneficial Designs 12/2008
Newsletter - 975 Kb pdf file
- Beneficial Designs People - 755
Kb pdf file
- Beneficial Designs Facilities - 1.2 Mb pdf file
- Beneficial Designs Projects -
3.2 Mb pdf file
- Tools
for Play Photos on Kodak Gallery
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