Welcome to this edition of  Perspectives,  the e-newsletter of the Stanford course, Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

What is the course? - Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter course at Stanford that explores issues surrounding the design, development, and use of assistive technology benefitting people with disabilities and seniors. More information can be found on the course website.

Invitation to attend - You are invited to attend all class lectures. They will be held in the Thornton Center - Classroom 110 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at 4:15 to 5:30pm and are free and open to the public.

Next class session - Tuesday, January 22nd at 4:15pm:

Abstract: In this panel discussion, several Stanford students with disabilities will discuss their academic goals, the assistive technology they use to be successful students, and the challenges they have faced.

Vivian T. Wong's Biosketch:

Vivian Wong graduated from Stanford last year with a double major in International Relations and French. Currently she is working at two education nonprofits in the city, as part of a public service fellowship through the Haas Center. She was born with a congenital spinal disorder, called spondylothoracic dysplasia, which translates to a truncated torso, forward curvature of her spine, limited neck rotation and reduced lung capacity. From Hong Kong to the Bay Area, her condition has puzzled many doctors and, to this day, she has yet to meet someone with the same disability.

Due to her limited neck rotation, she would not be able to drive safely without the use of assistive technology. The installation of cameras to cover blind spots and pedal extensions allows her to drive independently.

Since her sophomore year, she's been committed to dispelling the stigma of the anti-normative and encouraging students with disabilities to advocate for themselves. At Stanford, she created "Power to ACT: Abilities Coming Together", a student group dedicated to safe social spaces for students with visible and hidden disabilities. Throughout college, she became more comfortable with her disability and welcomes you to ask her anything.

Emi Kelly's Biosketch:

Emily Kelly is a Stanford Freshman. She comes from snowy Colorado, where she enjoys her family, friends, Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. At Stanford, she is a member of SURJ, the Stanford Undergraduate Research Journal, and a competing member of the Stanford Intercollegiate Bridge Team. She is deeply interesting in how the brain works and hopes to soon explore the relationship between neuroplasticity and neurological disorders such as learning disabilities.

Emily has Dyslexia and a Working Memory Deficit. She often finds herself surprised at the surprise others exhibit when they find out. Thus, she is quietly committed to improving the conceptions of her community on LD by helping friends with learning disabilities improve their self-conceptions, and showing that those with disabilities also have valuable skills to offer. She is excited to start her second quarter of college and grateful to her family and Stanford for their invaluable aid and accommodation in relation to her learning differences.

Morgan Duffy's Biosketch:

Studies and experiences have lead Morgan to concentrate her work on something essential in her life: disability. As a woman with a disability, Morgan has traveled to inaccessible parts of the world to work with children who remind her of her childhood friends from summer camp. At Stanford she studies Cross Cultural Health and Policy and has completed internships at Whirlwind Wheelchair, The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Stanford Hospital. In her spare time,Morgan enjoys shopping in open markets, being outdoors, taking road trips, meeting new people, talking politics and reenergizing with hot yoga.

Page Ive's Biosketch:

Page Ive is a junior majoring in Science, Technology, and Society with a focus in IT, Media, and Society. Disabilities have played a large role in Page’s life because both she and her older brother have invisible disabilities. Page has attention deficit disorder (ADD) and dysgraphia, a disability that makes it difficult to hand-write legibly. Page became involved in the disability community as a result of the significant impact academic accommodations had on her ability to succeed. With the use of a computer, she could finally demonstrate her abilities and was highly motivated to do so. Throughout high school she volunteered regularly with Northwest Special Families and participated in several inbound/outbound US / Bahrain exchanges with Mobility International USA, culminating in her work as a consultant during a professional outbound exchange. She also applied her passion for theater to disability advocacy by organizing an accessible theater performance for children. At Stanford, she is very familiar with the Office of Accessible Education and encourages students to utilize its valuable resources. This year she joined Power to ACT and is taking advantage of the opportunity to learn as she creates a website for the group.

In 2010, Page was one of two recipients of the Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas scholarship, a $10,000 award for her disability advocacy.

Do you have a question or comment? - David L. Jaffe, MS, the course instructor, can be reached by email or at 650/892-4464.