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ATLAS |
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Assistive
Technology
Laboratory
at
Stanford |
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Technology
and design benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the
local community |
January 26, 2015 |
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Perspectives is the newsletter of the Stanford
course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.
This issue invites you to attend the next class session
and
encourages your participation in the course's assistive technology
faire.
Perspectives in Assistive
Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course in its ninth season
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; and an assistive technology faire.
Much more information can be found on the course
website.
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Attend a lecture - You are invited to sit in on
class lectures that interest you. They are open
to the greater Stanford community - you need not be a Stanford student and
there is no required signup, enrollment, or charge. They will once again be
held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 to 5:30pm in a large tiered,
accessible classroom on campus in the Thornton Center (Classroom 110) adjacent
to the Terman Fountain and near the Roble Gym, the same venue as last year.
Here are the parking options, maps, and
directions to the classroom. |
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Next class session - Thursday, January 29th at
4:15pm:
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Designing Beyond the Norm to
Meet the Needs of All People
Peter W.
Axelson, MSME, ATP, RET
Beneficial
Designs, Inc.
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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 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. |
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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 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, developing
seating systems for wheelchairs, and creating a system to assess trails that
will improve access to outdoor trails for people of all
abilities. |
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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. |
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Participate in the Assistive Technology Faire -
This third annual course event will once again 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 the course instructor 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 starts
at 4:15pm on Thursday, February 19th
just outside the classroom, Thornton
110.
Here are
Dave's and
Arne's photos from last year's
Faire. |
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Do you have a question or comment? - If you have
general questions, comments, or suggestions about the course, David L.
Jaffe, MS, the instructor, can be reached by
email or at 650/892-4464. Thank you
again for your interest.
Dave
To unsubscribe
from this newsletter, please email Dave. |
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