ENGR110/210: Perspectives in Assistive Technology

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.