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Design, Technology , and Engineering benefitting individuals
with disabilities and older adults in the local community |
January 27, 2021 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the
Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.
Designing Beyond the Norm
This issue announces 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
fifteenth year - that explores the design, development, and use of
assistive technology that benefits people with disabilities and older adults.
It consists of semi-weekly online discussions; lectures by
notable professionals, clinicians, and assistive technology users; virtual
tours of local medical, clinical, and engineering facilities; student
project presentations and demonstrations; and a Virtual Assistive Technology
Faire. |
Course
News
Course Statistics -
Forty-five students have enrolled in the course, four students are auditing,
ten vendors plan to participate in the Virtual Assistive Technology Faire, and
nineteen students have chosen to work on projects suggested by six community
members. |
Next class session -
Thursday, January 28th at 4:30pm PST via
Zoom
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Designing Beyond the
Norm to Meet the Needs of All People
Peter W. Axelson, MSME, ATP, RET
Beneficial Designs, Inc.
Director of Research & Development |
Abstract: Peter will talk about the difference
between Universal, Adaptable, and Adaptive design. Peter was the first
undergraduate using a wheelchair for mobility to live on the Stanford campus in
1976 when accessibility issues were just beginning to be addressed. Those
experiences and the desire to participate in the same physical activities as
every other college student who had professional and recreational interests
shaped his career as a designer. Peter will share how his interests spawned the
creation of Beneficial Designs, Inc to support the development of personal,
activity specific and environmental technologies for people of all abilities.
His experience in obtaining Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants to
develop and functionally assess products, services, and the designs of outdoor
environments, has provided many opportunities for he and his staff to change
the way people with impairments of all kinds are able to participate in all
aspects of life activity. His company works toward universal access through
research, design, and education to enable persons of all abilities to
participate in the physical, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of
life.
Biosketch: Peter Axelson is a
rehabilitation engineer who sustained a spinal cord injury in a 1975 climbing
accident while in the Air Force Academy. He continued his education at Stanford
University, where he began applying engineering and design principles to
overcome daily living hurdles faced by people with disabilities. In 1981 he
founded Beneficial Designs, Inc.
an engineering design firm dedicated to designing, developing, and testing
assistive technologies. His accomplishments include developing the first
chairlift-compatible mono-ski with a shock absorber, working to establish
wheelchair testing standards, improving seating systems for wheelchairs, and
creating a system to assess trails that will improve access to outdoor trails
for people of all abilities.
Peter is the founder and the Director of Research and
Development of Beneficial Designs and spends much of his time traveling
throughout the world attending meetings and presenting his work. He's also a
pilot and avid mono-skier.
Zoom Attendance
This class session will not
be open to community attendance - This decision has been made
subsequent to the loss of vocal quality during the first class session - mostly
likely due to the large number of attendees. For this reason, I may have to
restrict Zoom attendance to enrolled students. However, I will provide the link
to this recorded video session to anyone who requests it. |
Upcoming class sessions:
Assistive Technology Faire
You are invited to participate
in the Virtual Assistive Technology Faire - This ninth annual
course event is scheduled for Thursday, February 25th 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 virtual event. Please browse to the
Call for Assistive Technology Faire Participants
webpage for more information and contact me to register. Each vendor will
have 5 to 10 minutes of unopposed Zoom time to display, demonstrate, and
discuss their assistive technology products or services. Everyone is welcome to
attend the Faire. Ten vendors have signed up to participate so far.
Here is the line
up and slides from last year's
Faire. |
Seeking Participants for a Study on Disability and the
Environment
"If you are a person with a mobility disability who
would be willing to talk about your experiences with environmental change, I
would like to speak with you. People with disabilities have historically been
left out of planning for environmental change and climate disaster, and your
story matters. I am especially interested in learning about how the environment
affects your life and how your identity affects your experience of the
environment. For this study, I am looking to interview people with mobility
disabilities."
"If you are interested in being involved in the study,
please contact me, Molly King. Interviews
are confidential and your participation is voluntary. Participants receive a
$15 gift card or charity donation of equal value for an hour of their
time."
"If you cannot participate but know of someone who might
be interested, I would appreciate you forwarding this message. Thank
you."
Molly M.
King, PhD
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Santa Clara
University |
Other
Email
questions, comments, or suggestions - Please
email me if you have general
questions, comments, corncerns, or suggestions regarding the course. Thank you
again for your interest.
Dave
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Dave. |
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