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Design, Technology , and Engineering benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the local community
January 2, 2025    
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

Happy New Year, Course Enrollment Update
Week 1 Class Sessions & Assistive Technology Faire

This newsletter issue wishes you a Happy New Year
and describes the first week's class sessions of the Quarter.

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.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Banner

New Year's welcome to members of the Stanford's Assistive Technology course community,

Course Plans

Important Dates sign

Important Date:

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

By the Numbers:

Course News

"Current Student ENROLLMENT!" banner

Student Enrollment - As of today, 39 students have pre-enrolled and 31 have officially enrolled. Of those 32, 2 are a Freshman, 1 is a Sophomore, 7 are Juniors, 18 are Seniors, and 3 are Graduate students, with 27 opting to work on team projects. Enrollment activity is expected to increase as the first class session approaches.

Four seated people, one is a wheelchair user

Call for Stanford Students and Faculty with a Disability - Students and faculty are invited to participate in a panel discussion in the Week 3 class session on Tuesday, January 21st. Several students have already agreed to 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. Please let me know if you are interested in joining the panel.

Lecture Schedule Sign

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 7th. Maps and direcrions. Masking is not required. There will not be a concurrent Zoom broadcast.

Week 1 In-person Class Sessions

Tuesday, January 7th at 4:30pm PST

photo of Dave Jaffe


Course Overview & Introduction to Assistive Technology
David L. Jaffe, MS
Stanford University - Mechanical Engineering Design Group

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 9th at 4:30pm PST

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Project Pitch Day
Various Project Suggestors

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.

Upcoming In-person Class Sessions

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Assistive Technology Faire - Call for Vendors

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Product manufactuers and service providers are invited to participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This twelfth annual course event is scheduled for Thursday, February 20th 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.

Everyone is welcome to attend this event. Here is the current line up and the webpage of last year's Faire.

Please contact me with your ideas, questions, comments, and project suggestions - or just to say hello. Please continue to stay safe & healthy.

Dave Jaffe - Course Instructor

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