Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - entering its fifteenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. It consists of semi-weekly online discussions; lectures by notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; virtual tours of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; student project presentations and demonstrations; and a Virtual Assistive Technology Faire.

Course Statistics - As of today, 40 students have enrolled in the course, 10 vendors plan to participate in the Virtual Assistive Technology Faire, and there many options for student projects including suggestions from 12 community members.

Attend upcoming Zoom class sessions - Although official enrollment is required for Stanford students to receive academic credit, all the Zoom class sessions will be open to the community. You need not be a Stanford student to attend, there is no signup required, and there is no charge. The first lecture will be on Tuesday, January 12th. Zoom connection information will be posted in future newsletter issues. The entire schedule can be found here.

You are invited to participate in the Virtual Assistive Technology Faire - This ninth annual course event is scheduled for Thursday, February 25th and will 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 join in on this virtual event. Please browse to the Call for Assistive Technology Faire Participants webpage for more information and contact me to register. Each vendor will have 5 to 10 minutes of unopposed Zoom time to display, demonstrate, and discuss their assistive technology products or services. Everyone is welcome to attend the Faire.

Here is the line up and slides from last year's Faire.

Reimagining Mobility 2021 - "In partnership with the University of Washington's Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE), we are proud to present a new Conversation Hub: Reimagining Mobility. We will dive deeply into conversations about mobility as a multifaceted concept, and explore how it intersects with other dimensions of access across contexts of research, education, and public policy."

"Throughout 2021, Heather Feldner and Kat Steele from University of Washington's CREATE will host conversations that bridge rehabilitation, engineering, and disability studies. Together, we’ll evaluate our collective assumptions of mobility, celebrate new visions for mobility, and identify opportunities for innovation and inclusion."

"Our first session will examine Sara Hendren’s new book What can a body do? From prosthetics to crosswalks to desire lines, the book provides a foundation for our discussions - examining the rich history, challenges, and opportunities that we can use and learn from to reimagine mobility."

Future sessions are scheduled for:

Thursday, February 4th - Judging SMART with LUCI co-founders

Thursday, March 4th - Inclusive Living with Barry Long