Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - entering its seventeenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults. It consists of semi-weekly in-person discussions; lectures by notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; a field trip to an accessible inclusive playground; an Assistive Technology Faire; and student project presentations and demonstrations. Course website.

Student Enrollment - The student enrollment for the course is still at 63. I expect a few more students to drop the course in the next few weeks as they finalize their schedules. Enrolled students come from many disciplines including several from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Science Technology & Society, Computer Science, Symbolic Systems, Math, and Education. Lesser represented majors include Comparative Literature, Psychology, Creative Writing, Distinguished Career Initiative, Japanese, Ethics in Society, International Relations, Bioengineering, Political Science, Human Biology, and Modern Languages.

Guest Lecturer Schedule - The schedule of guest lecturers has been finalized. For more information about each presenter and their topic, browse to the course lecture schedule webpage. Community members are welcome to attend class sessions on campus starting with the first one next week on Tuesday, January 10th. Maps and direcrions. Masking may be required. There will not be a concurrent Zoom broadcast.

Tuesday, January 10th at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: This presentation will begin with an overview of the course including its objectives, credentials, structure, candidate projects, guest lectures, grading, and expected student experience. A brief introduction to Assistive Technology follows, touching on definitions, demographics, rehabilitation goals, perceptions, challenges, social correctness, and numerous examples of commercial products, research efforts, and past student projects.

Biosketch: David L. Jaffe holds a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a MS degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University.

Prior to coming to Stanford, Dave was a Research Biomedical Engineer at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's Rehabilitation Research and Development Center. His interests there were designing, developing, testing, and bringing to market microcomputer-based devices for veterans with disabilities including communication, mobility, and information systems. He worked on several VA assistive technology research projects including an powered wheelchair interface for individuals with quadriplegia, an electro-mechanical fingerspelling hand that served as a communication device for people who are deaf/blind, a system that explored virtual reality techniques to train individuals with gait deficits to improve their walking, and a project that employed a computer-based simulation system to assess and improve the driving ability of individuals after brain injury.

In addition to organizing this course, ENGR110/210: Perspectives in Assistive Technology, he contributes to other Stanford courses including defining the quarterly course projects in ME218: Smart Product Design and ME310: Engineering Design Entrepreneurship and Innovation as well as mentoring students working on assistive technology projects throughout the year.

Thursday, January 12th at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: Candidate team projects will be "pitched" by those who suggested them. Open time at the end of the presentations will enable students pursuing projects to connect with project suggestors. A listing of the projects with links to their descriptions can be found on the Project Pitch Day webpage.

• Tuesday, January 17th - Creating Assistive Technologies - Understanding the Problem
• Thursday, January 19th - Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine

You are invited to participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This eleventh annual course event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 28th 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 event. Browse to the Call for Assistive Technology Faire Participants webpage for more information and contact me to register as a vendor.

Ten vendors have committed to participate this coming year. Here is the line up and slides from last year's virtual Faire.