ENGR110/210: Perspectives in Assistive Technology

Bridging the Gap between Consumers and Products in Rehabilitation Medicine
Deborah E. Kenney, MS, OTR/L
Stanford University, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, and Foothill College

Abstract: Occupational therapists (OTs) are critical players in the transdisciplinary rehabilitation team. An OT's job is to help people, who because of illness, injury, or aging, have experienced a decrease in their ability to function independently in the areas of daily living, work, play, and leisure. Treatment by an OT often includes the prescription of assistive technology. This talk will focus on the aspects necessary to effectively fit the technology to the individual and support the use of this technology in the home environment, and the impediments to providing this. She will be joined by a panel of stroke survivors: Albert A. and Michael W. who will discuss their challenges and the assistive technology devices they have used.

Biosketch: Deborah Kenney has been an occupational therapist working with stroke survivors and hand patients for the last 28 years. She currently splits her time, as a researcher, between Stanford and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She has collaborated on numerous design / development research projects with both engineers as well as with graduate, medical, and undergraduate students. Her work includes testing and integrating technology into the rehabilitation setting with individuals with Parkinson's Disease, CVA (stroke), spinal cord injury, hand and orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation, and balance problems related to aging. Ms. Kenney currently works with researching problems of hand rehabilitation and treatment related to post surgical pain and thumb arthritis and continues to develop novel treatments for post-stroke survivors privately in the community.