Perspectives is the newsletter of the Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

Problem Statement Format for Student Project Suggestions

This issue introduces the Problem Statement Format for student project suggestions.

This course relies on your involvement,
so please suggest a project based upon an identified problem or challenge.

Introduction to Student Projects

Previous newsletters described the benefits & process, requirements, and recommended activities for submitting a student project suggestion. This issue intoduces the Problem Statement Format for describing a candidate student project.

Project Statement Format

What happens after a project suggestion is submitted? - Submitted project suggestions will be read, reviewed, and considered. Those that meet all the project requirements and receive my approval will be accepted as candidate team projects. A project Problem Statement describing the challenge will be composed for posting on the course website and disseminated as a handout to students on the first day of class. Refer to this past year's team candidate project list for examples of past Problem Statements.

The Problem Statement consists of these short paragraphs:

Name - a simple, short, descriptive phrase or title to refer to the project.

Background - an overview of the organization and / or provide a general description of the population addressed by the project suggestion.

Problem - a brief and concise description of the problem, including how it affects the particular person with a disability or older adult. (The Everyday Usefulness of the Problem Statement by Alan Nicol is a well-written reference article.)

Aim - a description of what the proposed solution should do, but not how it should do it.

Design Criteria - a list of the desirable operational features and characteristics of the proposed solution. Priortize the criteria into those that are essential, those that would be good to include, and those of lesser importance.

Other - additional information that will illuminate the problem and facilitate a solution, such as photographs, short videos, a list available resources, weblinks, and general design suggestions.

Contact Information - the suggestor's name, company (if applicable), email address, and phone number (optional).

Review of Project Solicitation Process and Activities

Briefly, what is the process for considering and submitting project suggestions? - First identify a specific challenge or problem experienced by a person with a disability or older adult. Then perform an internet search to confirm that the problem has not already been adequately addressed. Then carefully review the project requirements to make sure the idea complies with all the criteria. Finally submit a short email - text format is ok - that identifies the user or population affected and briefly describes the nature of the problem. Include desirable features of a solution, but do not specify how the device should appear, be built, or solve the problem - as those are tasks for the student team to consider. It is ok if the problem affects just one individual. Refer to the current candidate project list as a guide.

Project Suggestion Submission Deadline

What is the deadline for submitting project suggestions? - Please email suggestions to me as soon as possible so I have adequate time to consider all submissions, edit approved entries, and post them - not later than Saturday, December 1st. Feel free to contact me before the deadline to discuss your ideas and suggestions.

Opportunity to Learn about Powered Clothing

Learn about Powered Clothing The Avenidas Generations Lab is recruiting older adults to provide input to improve Seismic's line of powered clothing. Seismic is an apparel company, located in Menlo Park, that seeks to transform people's relationship with clothing that enhances one's ability to move through life. Their goal is to shape human potential through a new integration of apparel and robotics called Powered Clothing™. Powered Clothing™ enables everyone - from older adults to athletes to people with a wide range of physical disabilities - to achieve their full mobility potential. To learn more, schedule a one-hour appointment through Avenidas with Eric Gee by email or phoning him at 650/289-5409. Older adults will be paid $25 to attend an initial orientation and selected individuals will be paid for each hour of future participation. The initial orientation includes: Watching a video that introduces Seismic and Powered Clothing™ Learning about enrollment opportunities for Seismic's user testing program Be measured and fitted for a Seismic garment (selected individuals) Ideal Powered Clothing™ users are those who: Experience difficulty with activities such as standing up from a seated position, climbing stairs, bending, etc Are active, engaged individuals Have a body mass index (BMI) less than 30

Upcoming Local Event

Inclusive Housing Community Advocacy Workshops The Kelsey seeks to develop a solution for the disability housing crisis in the Bay Area that is financially sustainable, rooted in partnership, built for scale, and fully inclusive. It is envisioned to consist of mixed ability, mixed income housing communities where people of all abilities and backgrounds live, play, and serve together. The Kelsey team is working to unlock new capital for disability and affordable housing; leveraging existing public, private, and nonprofit partners; and creating housing models that are sustainable and replicable. Lindsay Johnson, Director of Policy and Partnerships, reports, "The Kelsey recently received a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to conduct an eight-month organizing and pre-development process to design, enable, and build inclusive communities. Part of this process includes engaging diverse local stakeholder teams to work towards new solutions. We would love to have community members of Stanford's Perspectives in Assistive Technology course who have an interest in disability or housing advocacy join our Silicon Valley team. Your attendance and participation is invited at our next workshop meeting in August. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with your questions." When: Wednesday, August 29th from 8:30am to noon Where: To be determined Peninsula location Registration: Brief survey and registration Information: The Kelsey website The Kelsey Overview Brochure: Together We Can Do More

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