Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - entering 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.

Community Attendance - Community members are most welcome to attend class sessions on campus, enrollment is not required. There will not be a Zoom participation option this year.

Tuesday, March 3rd at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: Various videos and film trailers related to Assistive Technology will be screened.

Thursday, March 5th at 4:30pm PST

Abstract: Ralf Hotchkiss will track the design of the Whirlwind Wheelchair from its beginning thirty years ago to the present and on into the future. From the first design breakthroughs of barefoot blacksmiths to the high tech testing and manufacturing methods of today, surprise breakthroughs in basic wheelchair design have come from the backyard inventors of some forty developing countries. These inventors form the Whirlwind Network of wheelchair riders and designers. Their goal is not only to make wheelchairs available in the poorest of countries; it is to radically improve the durability and rough-ground mobility so that wheelchair riders can live and work in environments that they can only dream of visiting today. Ralf will show unfinished designs that open wide opportunities for new developments and he will make a plea for the innovative designers of Stanford to enter into one of today's most fulfilling areas of invention and international development work. Joining Ralf will be Telma Ramos, a wheelchair builder from Nicaragua, who will show simplified, more efficient fabrication of Whirlwind Wheelchair's latest designs.

Biosketch: Ralf Hotchkiss is an inventor and the lead designer of Whirlwind Wheelchair International, a non-profit company located in Berkeley. Its mission is "to make it possible for every person in the developing world who needs a wheelchair to obtain one that will lead to maximum personal independence and integration into society". At SFSU, he taught "Wheelchair Design and Construction", a course in which students built a complete wheelchair in a Third World appropriate shop. Ralf is a graduate of Oberlin College (Physics) and a 1989 MacArthur Foundation Fellow.

• Tuesday, March 10th - End-of-term Student Team Project Presentations
• Thursday, March 12th - Student Project Demonstrations, Course Evaluation, and Celebration