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ATLAS

Assistive
Technology 
Laboratory
at
Stanford

 
 
Technology and design benefitting individuals with disabilities and older adults in the local community
February 24, 2017    
2 columns of images relating to assistive technology
Perspectives is the newsletter of the Stanford course,
Perspectives in Assistive Technology.

This issue invites you to attend Tuesday's field trip.

Perspectives in Assistive Technology is a Winter Quarter Stanford course - now starting its eleventh year - 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; student project presentations and demonstrations; an assistive technology faire; and a film screening.

Next class session - Tuesday, February 28th at 4:45pm at the Magical Bridge Playground (Directions and map):

photo of Olenka


Field Trip to the Magical Bridge Playground
Olenka Villarreal
Founder of the Magical Bridge Playground

Abstract: Of the thirty-four existing public parks in Palo Alto today, not one has been built with everyone’s unique physical and cognitive needs in mind. Most of the playground designs are similar and do not reflect the many different types of people living in the community - those with autism, visual and hearing impairments, cognitive challenges, and even older adults. The urgent need to create a playground that would surpass ADA standards was the drive behind the vision for a new kind of playground - one designed for everyone. The $4 million needed to create such a place was raised privately in less than two years. Created by a team of inclusion experts and located in Palo Alto’s Mitchell Park, the Magical Bridge Playground broke ground in June 2014. Now that it is completed, it is the nation's most innovative inclusive playground.

Biosketch: With an undergraduate degree from Pomona College and MBA from Golden Gate University, Olenka Villarreal spent 18 years working with start-up and technology companies in Silicon Valley. When her second daughter was born with disabilities in 2003, she turned her focus on improving the quality of life of those with disabilities. Olenka serves on the Board of Directors for the Palo Alto Unified School District's Community Advisory Committee for Special Education, on Life Services Alternatives in San Jose, and is Vice President of Friends of the Palo Alto Parks. In June 2014, Olenka was presented with the prestigious Jefferson Service Award in recognition of her efforts to make the Magical Bridge Playground a reality.

Attend a lecture - Guest lectures will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:50pm and are open to the greater Stanford community. You are most welcome to sit in on any class sessions that interest you. You need not be a Stanford student and there is no required signup, enrollment, or charge. The class will meet in a large, tiered, accessible classroom on campus in the Thornton Center, 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.

clip art of a lecture

Did you miss a lecture? - Course lectures are posted on YouTube. To find the links, browse to the Lecture Schedule webpage, scroll down and click on the lecture of interest. Near the bottom of the page you will see the Lecture Material section which has links to the slides, photos, weblinks, and lecture video.

clip art of a student missing hi sbus

Solicitation for Mobility Projects for Older Adults

A capstone course is the academically integrative experience of an undergraduate educational program that gives students an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have gained during their time in college. This experience helps prepare them for their engineering careers.

ME113 - Mechanical Engineering Design - is a capstone course for seniors in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. In this course, students pursue on "real-world" engineering problems offered by a company or other organization (project partner).

Starting from a description of project goals provided by the project partner, a student team of four seniors will develop a design concept and explore its practical feasibility by fabricating and testing a series of increasingly refined working models. Each project will supervised by a faculty member using information and advice supplied by the project partner.

The course will be conducted in the 10-week Spring Quarter from April through mid-June.

One of the themes this academic year is Mobility for Older Adults with a focus on automobiles and driving.

At this time, the course is soliciting problems or challenges that could be addressed by a team of students.

The best suggestions will be those that represent real problems experienced by an individual with a disability or older adult in the local community that affects their ability to drive or otherwise access transportation. Other suggestions that broadly affect one's ability to walk or move are also welcome.

Please email me your suggestions describing the problem and important features of what a solution should do, but not how to achieve them. Thank you for your consideration.

an older woman at the wheel

an older woman at the wheel, dog in the back

an older couple in a convertible

an older driver viewed through the steering wheel

Upcoming Local Events

What is the Cool Product Expo (CPX)?

CPX is a one-day exhibition of cutting-edge products organized by the Product Design and Manufacturing Club at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Every year exhibitors come to Stanford University to demonstrate ground-breaking hardware, software, consumer tech, wearables, thinkables, driveables - anything and everything one can imagine.

For potential exhibitors: CPX is a unique opportunity for companies and startups with cool products to interact with Stanford students and the surrounding community of alumni, press, and investors. People you meet at this event could end up being your teammates, customers, partners, or investors. Here's the CPX website and a video of CPX 2013 (3:16) to give you an idea of what the event is like. If you are interested in applying to be an exhibitor, please fill out this online form. Exhibit space is limited. If you have any questions, get in touch with Carlotta Mathieu, VP of CPX Exhibitor Coordination.

For potential attendees: This event is free and open to the public. No advance registration is required.

When: Wednesday, April 19th, Noon to 6pm
Where: Knight Management Center
Knight Managment Center

8th Annual Adaptive Arts Film Festival

This event features local and international films by, for, and about individuals of all abilities and is sponsored by the College of Adaptive Arts Film Festival as a part of its 9th Annual Celebration - Differing Abilities.

The Festival is scheduled for Sunday, April 23rd from 2 to 5pm at the Bluelight Cinemas 5 Cupertino Oaks, 21275 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino with a Meet-and-Greet following the event at the nearby Hobee's Restaurant.

Bluelight Cinemas logo

Upcoming Class Sessions:

Support the course - Funding in any amount for the course and student projects is always welcomed. Monetary gifts support approved project expenses, administrative costs, honoraria for guest lecturers, and the end-of-term celebration. Refer to the Team Project Support webpage for more information.

Email questions, comments, or suggestions - If you have general questions, comments, or suggestions about the course, email David L. Jaffe, MS, the instructor. Thank you again for your interest in the course.

Dave

3 rows of images of course presenters and community members

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