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 is nearly stabilized with 41 students with seven teams of 4 and two teams of 3. working on team projects.

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 23rd at 4:30pm PST

Perspectives of Stanford Students and Faculty with a Disability Ari Gabriel, Jeff Butler, Allegra Hosford Scheirer, Mary Cooper, Bhavya Shah

Abstract: In this panel discussion, several Stanford students and faculty with disabilities will discuss their disabilities, the challenges they have faced, why they chose to attend Stanford, their academic and career goals, the resources Stanford provides them, and the assistive technology they employ to be successful students and productive faculty members.

Ari's Biosketch: Ari Gabriel is a Senior pursuing a double major in Assistive Design Engineering and Comparative Literature. In early middle school, Ari was diagnosed with hemiplegic migraines which have progressively increased in their intensity. Additionally, in first grade, they were diagnosed with severe dyslexia which makes them unable to process 3D images. Ari is an impassioned advocate for people with disabilities and sexual violence and relationship abuse survivors. Ari is a Bridge Peer counselor and also serves in ASSU as the Director of Sexual Violence Prevention. Additionally, they are a staff writer for The Stanford Daily where they have investigated and written at length about mental health care on campus.

Jeff's Biosketch: Jeff Butler is a two-time Paralympic silver medalist and entrepreneur. In 2015, he founded his first company, VIPatient Telehealth, which focused on bridging the healthcare gap for rural and underserved communities. After breaking his neck at the age of 13, he quickly found wheelchair rugby and a renewed sense of purpose. He was fortunate to represent Team USA at the 2016 and the 2020 Tokyo Rio Paralympic Games, winning a silver medal in wheelchair rugby at both. As an MBA student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, he is exploring the intersection of accessibility and technology.

Allegra's Biosketch: Allegra Hosford Scheirer is a research scientist in the Earth and Planetary Sciences department at Stanford. She studies the interaction between rocks and fluids in the subsurface by constructing numerical models of sedimentary basins. She developed epilepsy 4 years ago as a result of a benign brain tumor.

Mary's Biosketch: Mary Kate Cooper is a Senior pursuing degrees in Aerospace Engineering & Computer Science. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi, an official Stanford tour guide, and a member of the Division 1 reigning Lightweight National Champion Rowing team. As a below-the-knee amputee, life has naturally pushed Mary to think outside the box. She is the proud owner of several high-performance, light-weight carbon fiber legs and believes being an amputee has given her a unique perspective and helped shape her problem-solving skills. Most recently, Mary was part of a Zero Gravity flight to research accessible space flight solutions called Mission AstroAccess. Looking forward, she would like to be a ParaAstronaut while lowering the barrier to entry for human spaceflight.

Bhavya's Biosketch: Bhavya Ashush Shah is a Junior at Stanford studying Mathematical and Computational Science with interests in education, disability studies, and oral communication. He is an active member of Stanford's Debate Society and Ethics Bowl teams. Outside of academics, he enjoys watching Indian standup comedy, having meaningful conversations, and eating spicy food.

Thursday, January 25th at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: "Robots once were a dream of the future, but they now creep into all aspects of our lives, whether it be vacuuming our house or exploring distant planets. Rehabilitation and mobility are no different. Exoskeletons can provide the motion and support that a user cannot, supplementing or replacing their muscles to enable natural motion. These devices can be used for mobility or for rehabilitation, but both uses come with challenges. I will discuss the design and control of robotic exoskeletons and the challenges faced when designing these devices."

Biosketch: Katherine Strausser holds a Bachelor's degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master's and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. She was one of three primary inventors of Ekso 1, an electro-mechanical lower extremity exoskeleton and is currently a senior controls engineer at Ekso Bionics working on control algorithms and software for various research efforts focusing on the Human Machine Interface.

• Tuesday, January 31st- Bionic Ears: Cochlear Implants and the Future of Assistive Technology
• Thursday, February 2nd - From DIY to Disability Dongles: Spanning Accessibility Space from Indispensable to Irrelevant

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.

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