Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - embarking on its nineteenth 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 tour of an accessible inclusive playground; student project presentations and demonstrations; and an Assistive Technology Faire. Students pursue team-based projects that address real challenges faced by people with disabilities and older adults living in the local community. Check out the course website.

Important Dates:

• Monday, December 2nd - Deadline for submitting student team project suggestions
• Thursday, December 5th - Winter Quarter course enrollment opens
• Tuesday, January 7th - First class session of Perspectives in Assistive Technology

Current Instructor Tasks:

• Continue to solicit, review, approve, and post student team project suggestions - in progress (see below)

By the Numbers:

• 12 = Guest Lecturers scheduled
• 15 = Confirmed Team Projects (5 new & 10 renewed)
• 23 = Prospective Students
• 27 = Maximum number of students working on team projects

Community Attendance - Community members are welcome to attend class sessions on campus, enrollment is not required. There will not be a Zoom participation option this year.

The course website has been updated for this coming academic year. Major changes have been made to the color scheme, syllabus, schedule, and project descriptions. 121 files have been updated and 533 have been moved. Please report any bad links and missing images.

I am the proud recipient of the 2025 CSUN Center on Disabilities Strache Leadership Award that recognizes my "ongoing leadership in the fields of disability and technology through his teaching and student mentoring". Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the award ceremony during the Keynote Address as it conflicts with Week 10 classes.

The schedule of guest lecturers has been finalized and posted. For more information about each presenter and their topic, browse to the course lecture schedule webpage. Community members are welcome to attend class sessions. Masking during class sessions may be required for everybody.

In preparation for the upcoming Winter Quarter course offering, I would like to continue to solicit projects suggestions from community members. Here are some important project criteria to consider:

1. Team project suggestions must address a real challenge experienced by an individual with a disability or older adult who lives in the local community. The challenge, problem, or struggle must be one that is not adequately served by existing commercial products. (Perform an internet search to verify this.) It is important to identify and describe the challenge rather than imagine a solution.
2. The scale and complexity of the project must be such that it could be pursued by a team of three students in the 10-week quarter, resulting in a fabricated functional prototype.
3. Refer to Project Requirements webpage for more detailed information.
4. Several new projects have already been submitted and approved. Their tentative titles are:
   • Laptop Storage for Abby
   • Laptray Artwork Easel for Abby
   • Water Bottle Opener for Danny
   • Obstacle Detector for Danny
5. Please submit a very brief description of suggested projects for review and approval.
6. Below is an example suitable project suggestion designed to guide your project suggestion thinking:

Examples of reacher products for inspiration:

• Grabber Reacher Tool for Elderly
• Extra-Long Grabber-Reacher Tool

Examples of pooper scooper products that are too bulky:

• Zeening Pet Pooper Scooper
• LeadAllWay Foldable Dog Poop Scooper