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:

• Tuesday, January 7th - First class session of Perspectives in Assistive Technology

Current Instructor Tasks:

• Finalize activities 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
• 32 = Pre-Enrolled Students
• 28 = Enrolled Students
• 27 = Maximum number of students working on team projects
•   2 = Confirmed Participants for Perspectives of Stanford Students and Faculty with a Disability
•   5 = Confirmed Vendors for the Assistive Technology Faire

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.

Student Enrollment - As of 12/09, 32 students have pre-enrolled and 28 have officially enrolled. Of those 28, 1 is a Freshman, 1 is a Sophomore, 7 are Juniors, 16 are Seniors, and 3 are Graduate students, with 24 opting to work on team projects. Enrollment will be paused and a Wait List implemented when 4 additional students request enrollment in a team project, resulting in 9 equal teams of 3 members.

Haas Center for Public Service - Cardinal Course Grant - I am pleased to announce that my Cardinal Course Grant proposal request was approved. The grant will fund honoraria for some guest lecturers, supplies and materials for student projects, and general course expenses.

Perspectives of Stanford Students and Faculty with a Disability - Several students have been invited to participate in a panel discussion in the Week 3 class session on Tuesday, January 21st. They will talk about their disabilities, the challenges they have faced, why they chose to attend Stanford, their academic and career goals, and the assistive technology they employ to be successful students.

In preparation for the upcoming Winter Quarter course offering, I would like to finalize soliciting team 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. Some projects have already been submitted, approved, described, and posted. Here are their titles:
   • 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