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ATLAS |
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Assistive
Technology Laboratory at Stanford |
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Technology
and design benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the
local community |
August 29, 2018 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course, Perspectives in Assistive
Technology.
Review of Project Solicitation
Process and Activities, Disability-Related Movies, and San José
Disability Awareness Day
Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter
Quarter Stanford course - preparing for its thirteenth 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. |
This course relies on your involvement, so please suggest a
project based upon an identified problem or challenge.
Course
News
Request for additional student
project suggestions - Project suggestions are continuing to be
solicited. For more information refer to previous newsletters which described
the benefits & process,
requirements, recommended activities for submiting a student
project suggestion, and the problem statement
format - all included on the
Call for Team Projects
Suggestions webpage.
Approved student project
suggestions - Several new project suggestions have been received,
reviewed, and approved to be candidate projects for the coming academic year
including: Lap Extender, Elevator Button Presser, and Backpack
Project.
Confirmed guest
lecturers - Sha Yao and Lindsey Felt will be making return guest
lecture appearances this coming academic year. Matteo Zallio, a Fulbright
Scholar from the Dublin Institute of Technology, will speak about Inclusive
Environments. The dates of their presentations have not yet been
scheduled.
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.
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.
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.
Events
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
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Disability-Related
Movies
Pick of the Litter
Introducing viewers to an unforgettable cast of canine personalities
and the dedicated individuals who work with them, Pick of the Litter is
an uplifting, bighearted celebration of the unique bond between humans and
dogs.
Meet
Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet, and Phil - five spirited puppies who, from
the moment theyre born, begin an incredible journey to become guide dogs
for the blind. Its a rigorous two-year process that will take the pups
from the care of selfless foster volunteers to specialized trainers to, if they
make the cut, a lifelong human companion. At every step of the way, the puppies
will be tested, challenged, and evaluated. Only the best of the best will be
chosen for the job of guide dog. Who has what it takes?
Pick of the Litter follows a litter of puppies from the moment
theyre born and begin their quest to become guide dogs for the blind.
Cameras follow these pups through an intense two-year odyssey as they train to
become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners
from harm. Along the way, these remarkable animals rely on a community of
dedicated individuals who train them to do amazing, life-changing things in the
service of their human. The stakes are high and not every dog can make the cut.
Only the best of the best: the pick of the litter.
With
deft storytelling skill, directors Dana Nachman and Don Hardy (the two
previously co-directed the feature documentaries The Human Experiment, Witch
Hunt, and Love Hate Love) introduce us to a group of unique canine characters
along with their human counterparts. Pick of the Litter is a wonderful
reminder of the extraordinary relationships we have with our dogs, especially
those that we work beside each day.
When: |
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Tuesday, August 28th to Sunday, September 9th |
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3 Below Theaters, San
Jose |
Information: |
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81 minutes -
trailer
(2:04) |
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Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
Is it
possible to find humor - corrosive, taboo-shattering, laugh-till-you-cry humor
- in the story of a 38-year-old- cartoonist whos both a quadriplegic and
a recovering alcoholic? The answer is yes, if the cartoonist is John Callahan -
whose infamous work has graced the pages of Omni, Penthouse, and The New Yorker
- and if hes telling it in his own words and pictures. But
Callahans uncensored account of his troubled - and sometimes impossible -
life is also genuinely inspiring. Without self-pity or self-righteousness, this
liberating book tells us how a quadriplegic with a healthy libido has sex, what
its like to live in the exitless maze of the welfare system, where a
cartoonist finds his comedy, and how a man with no reason to believe in
anything discovers his own brand of faith.
Dont Worry is based on John Callahans memoir of
the same name. Phoenix plays the controversial cartoonist as he struggles with
alcoholism and recovers from a car accident that leaves him paralyzed from the
waist down. The supporting cast includes Rooney Mara, Jonah Hill, and Jack
Black. Van Sant debuted the drama at Sundance earlier this year, where Phoenix
instantly became an early contender for the Oscars. The actor gives a
transformative performance in the lead role, but its really Jonah Hill
who walks away with the film. Hill plays Phoenixs A.A. sponsor Donnie,
and its a perfectly calibrated supporting performance, one that makes a
lasting impression and leaves you wanting to know more about the
character.
When: |
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Tuesday, September 11th to Sunday, September 23rd |
Where: |
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3 Below Theaters, San
Jose |
Information: |
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113 minutes -
trailer
(2:11) |
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Disability
Awareness Day
11th Annual Disability Awareness Day
Expanding Our Horizons as we celebrate diversity,
awareness, and empowerment for persons with differing abilities.
Attend
and enjoy: Live Music, Food Trucks, Movie Screenings, Panel Discussions, Art
Displays, Resource Fair, Games, and Activities
When: |
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Thursday, October 4th from 11am to 2pm |
Where: |
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San José City Hall Rotunda & Plaza - 200 E. Santa Clara
St. |
Information: |
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Free -
more
information |
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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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