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Design, Technology , and Engineering benefitting individuals
with disabilities and older adults in the local community |
January 13, 2020 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive
Technology.
Creating Assistive
Technologies
This issue invites you to attend the next class session and
encourages your participation in the course's Assistive Technology
Faire.
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Perspectives in Assistive
Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - entering its
fourteenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of
assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults.
It consists of semi-weekly classroom discussions; lectures by
notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; tours
of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; student project
presentations and demonstrations; an Assistive Technology Faire; and a
film screening. |
Course News
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Course Statistics
- A record number of students - forty-nine - have now enrolled in the course:
twenty-seven pursuing team projects (with an additional three on the Wait
List), thirteen opting to work on smaller projects, and six attending lectures.
Three vendors have already registered for the Assistive Technology Faire on Thursday, February
20th. |
Next class session -
Tuesday, January 14th at 4:30pm
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Creating Assistive
Technologies - Understanding the Problem
Gayle Curtis
UX Design
Consultant |
Abstract: When we look at the drivers of
effective innovation we see two complementary themes emerging: First, new
technologies or methods that open the way to new solutions, and second, new
insights or experiences that yield a better understanding of the problem. With
a design thinking approach, we begin by building empathy with the user and the
situation, then we use ideation, prototyping, and iteration to explore,
formulate, and test solutions.
In this class session we will look at ways to gain
understanding of user needs, goals, and values around a problem, as well as the
constraints and requirements of the situations around them. One goal for this
session is for students to identify a set of questions to explore through
interview and observation with real users of assistive technologies. Teams may
also get some good ideas about the people they might approach for both
inspiration and insight.
Biosketch: Gayle Curtis is a UX design
consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in user interface
architecture and design strategy for online ventures and interactive products.
Recently he was Principal Interaction Designer at Yahoo!, where he also
developed a practice area in strategic ideation and disseminated it through
workshops in the US and Asia. At Stanford he taught courses in Human-Computer
Interactions (HCI) and Product Design. Gayle is a graduate of the MS
Engineering Product Design program at Stanford.
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You are invited to attend this
and all other class sessions - Class sessions will be held on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:50pm and are
open to the greater Stanford community. You need not be a Stanford student to
attend, no signup is required, and there is no charge. The full schedule can be
found here |
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Same classroom! -
The course will be held in classroom 282 in the
Lathrop
Library located at the corner of Lasuen Mall and Serra Mall, adjacent to
Memorial Auditorium and the Oval. It seats as many as 150 people in a flexible
and accessible space. Here is a webpage with maps, directions, and photos. |
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You are invited
to participate in the Assistive Technology Faire - This
eighth annual course event 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 bring
assistive technology devices and information to display, demonstrate, and
discuss. Please browse to the Call for Assistive
Technology Faire Participants webpage and contact me if you would like to
be a part of this event as a user or vendor of assistive technology products or
services. Everyone is welcome to attend the Faire.
The Faire will start at 4:30pm on
Thursday, February 20th in the
Lathrop Library, Classroom 282.
Here is the program,
slides, and
Matteo's,
Krystina's &
my photos from last year's
Faire. |
Upcoming class sessions:
Upcoming local events:
SOMArts proudly announces the second
exhibition in the 10th Curatorial Residency season, Recoding CripTech.
Curated by Vanessa Chang and Lindsey D. Felt, Recoding CripTech reimagines
enshrined notions of what a body can be or do through creative technologies,
and how it can move, look, or communicate.
Working with a broad understanding of
technology, from prosthetic tools to the built environment, this
multidisciplinary community art exhibition explores how disability - and
artists who identify as such - can redefine design, aesthetics, and the
relationship between user and interface. Exhibiting artists engage with
technology in manifold ways from conception to production and beyond. As the
term “crip” reclaims the word for disability culture and recognizes
disability as a cultural and political identity, so too do artists hack
technologies to make them more accessible and inclusive.
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Other
Support the
course - Funding in any amount for the course and student projects
is always welcomed. Monetary gifts support approved project expenses,
administrative costs, honoraria for guest lecturers, and the end-of-term
celebration. Refer to the Course and Project Support
webpage for more information.
Email
questions, comments, or suggestions - Please
email me if you have general
questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the course. Thank you again for
your interest.
Dave
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Dave. |
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