In January of 2020, MIT piloted a new subject, 3.008 Humanistic Co-design of Assistive Technology Around the Globe. The subject is academically housed within the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and was created in partnership with the MISTI MIT-India program. The subject was taught by Dr. Kyle Keane (Lecturer and Research Scientist) and Anna Musser (Research Specialist). This subject brought 8 undergraduate students to India and Saudi Arabia for the month of January. During the course, students worked with international students, engineers, designers, NGO’s and persons with disabilities to create low-fidelity prototypes and project plans of assistive technologies. 

The aim of these technologies is to increase, maintain, or aid the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. A select group of projects ideated during this course will be further developed over the next year. Come learn about these projects and hear from the teaching staff and students about their educational, cultural, and personal experiences during the trip. There will also be a teaser for an upcoming MITx module to help other educators support their students as they respectfully engage people who have disabilities in the co-design process.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn about the co-design process and how it can be applied when working with individuals with disabilities
• Learn about working within the realm of assistive technology abroad 
• Learn some nuances surrounding definitions of disability