What problems do you want to solve?
The problem I most want to solve is one affecting my own family. My 16-year-old son was born with a fairly severe physical disorder, arthrogryposis, which greatly limits the use of his arms. Essentially, he has no functioning biceps, and his elbows are fused and unbending. While elbow replacements are entirely possible, that option is complicated by the lack of a bicep. We are hopeful that advances in medical technology will open up new avenues for us over the course of the next few years, but meanwhile....I would like nothing more than to find adaptive technology funding that would enable him to drive. So that's the direction I plan to take in this class, assuming I can find potential sources. I have only begun to look, so cannot be sure just yet.
If there's something you'd recommend I read in order to help support your work, let me know. You might also be interested in contacting a student in our PhD program, Diane Allen, who is writing about the rhetoric of assistive technology, too, for her dissertation.
ReplyDeleteCould you start by identifying some of the companies who make such adaptive technology? I suspect that others have been in this situation and a solution might be closer than you think. Once you find the companies, then you can start contacting them and asking. ... I hope, too, that one of these companies might realize the benefits of helping a family in your situation and could make finding a solution a collaborative project in which the company could gain knowledge while your family could use the equipment at no cost (or a reduced cost) or maybe with outside funding covering the costs.
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