6.811 | Fall 2014 | Undergraduate

Principles and Practice of Assistive Technology

Calendar

SES # TYPES TOPICS PROJECT PROGRESS
1 Lecture Course introduction (case study of previous projects)  
2 Lab Communicating with (and about) people with disabilities Clients invited to discuss communication / etiquette
3 Lecture AT user sharing (Steve Saling and Jack Geilfuss, Leonard Florence Center / ALS Residence Initiative)  
4 Lab AT showcase (low-tech to high-tech) Clients invited to come and showcase their AT
5 Lecture Ethnographic techniques (Lynde Lutzow, RISD / MassArt)  
6 Lab Contextual inquiry (Prof Rob Miller) and client matching Fill out matches
7 Lecture Client / mentor announcements Team Formation & Project Matching, set up first meeting with client
8 Lab Project documentation using photos & film, client confidentiality  
9 Lecture Ethics (Prof Rob Miller)  
10 Lab Lab check in 1: Planning for client meeting with mentor: do background research on disability; discuss confidentiality, video documentation; discuss team roles; prepare questions and plan for contextual inquiry  
11 Lecture Responding to changing needs (Don Fredette, The Boston Home) Client meeting 1: Understand challenge, contextual inquiry
12 Lab Wheelchair Lab  
13 Lecture Discussion of Wheelchair Lab  
14 Lab Lab check in 2: Present client challenges, results of contextual inquiry to each other  
15 Lecture How OTs / PTs think (Kevin Berner, Easter Seals / BU) Client meeting 2: Discuss solutions to challenge, more contextual inquiry, present some prototypes / sketches and discuss feasibility
16 Lab No Session  
17 Lecture Health consideration in assistive technology (Grace Teo)  
18 Lab Lab check-in 3: Come up with prototypes / sketches, confirm project focus, decide if any trainings are required  
19 Lecture Panel: MIT students with disabilities Client meeting 3: Present project focus, present concept for prototype 1, define success metrics together
20 Lab Team-specific training: Hobby Shop, iOS training, Danger!Awesome  
21 Lecture Panel: Adaptive sports and assistive technology  
22 Lab Lab check-in 4: Defining success metrics  
23 Lecture No Session Client meeting 4: Test prototype 1 with client, evaluate according to success metrics, refine success metrics and / or prototype 1
24 Lab No Session
25 Lecture Assistive Technology Economics (William Li)  
26 Lab Lab check-in 5: Discuss results of prototype testing  
27 Lecture IBM and Accessibility (Frances West, IBM Chief Accessibility Officer) Clients invited to mid-semester panels
28 Lab Mid-semester Panels  
29 Lecture No Session Work on Presentations
30 Lab Mid-semester Panels  
31 Lecture Electronic Device Access Lab 1 Client meeting 5: Share feedback from class with client, refine prototype 1
32 Lab Electronic Device Access Lab 2 (hardware & software)  
33 Lecture Electronic Device Access Lab 3  
34 Lab Lab check-in 6: Experiment-driven design  
35 Lecture Assistive technology design & identity (Prof Sara Hendren) Client meeting 6: Test prototype 2, evaluate according to success metrics
36 Lab Leveraged Freedom Chair (Prof Amos Winter)  
37 Lecture Panel: Invisible disability  
38 Lab Lab check-in 7: Documentation plan  
39 Lecture No Session Client meeting 7: Refine prototype 2
40 Lab No Session  
41 Lecture Building hackability into medical technology  
42 Lab Lab check-in 8: Cypress Engineering Studio orientation and demos of prototype  
43 Lecture Panel: Assistive technology and the law Client meeting 8: Deliver 3rd and final prototype
44 Lab Panel: The business of assistive technology  
45 Lecture Panel: Social innovators in disability  
46 Lab Lab check-in 9: Demo of final prototype  
47 Lecture Panel: Wearable technology in health and disability Client meeting 9: Final feedback from client
48 Lab Work on final presentation / deliverable  
49 Lecture Aesthetics in assistive technology (Grace Teo)  
50 Lab Lab check-in 10: Discuss final feedback & continuation of projects after semester, work on final presentations / press release / instructables  
51 Lecture No Session Clients invited to final-semester panels
52 Lab No Session  
53 Lecture End-of-semester Presentations  
54 Lab End-of-semester Presentations (cont.)  
55 Lecture No Session  
56 Lab No Session  
57 Lecture Follow up opportunities (William Li)  
58 Lab Public showcase  

Course Info

Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Projects with Examples
Course Introduction
Demonstration Videos
Activity Assignments with Examples
Media Assignments with Examples
Written Assignments
Instructor Insights