Author: disabilitylab

SpotLight: Keilani Adachi

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Keilani Adachi, Mechanical Engineering, 2nd year

How did you hear about the lab?

I found out about the lab through URAP. I was looking for research and read the description for the disability lab and thought it would be a great opportunity. This is my first semester with the lab. 

What made you want to join?

I wanted to join the lab because I liked its mission of being completely centered around disability. Having the driving force for projects be people with disabilities’ lived experiences makes the research much more relevant and meaningful.

What project are you working on now? What’s your role? 

I’m currently working on the RAMP app within the data research team.

Future vision for lab?

For the future of the lab, I wish to see it grow and expand to other universities, driven by the same mission. It would also be really cool if the RAMP app is expanded to be used for multiple UC campuses.

Anything you want to share about the lab. 

Lab culture is really fun and the people are wonderful and super compassionate.

SpotLight: Karen Nakamura (the student)

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Karen Nakamura. Class of 2023 studying Mechanical Engineering. 

Interesting Tidbit: “Knowing the Professor Karen Nakamura through this lab has probably helped ease the awkwardness of having to tell her about all the mistaken emails I get from students and faculty that were meant for her.”

How did you hear about the lab?

I found it in the list of URAP labs, and it piqued my interest. 

What made you want to join?

Developing technology has always been an interest of mine, with my past experience in robotics and as a mechanical engineering major. What made this lab especially unique was that it was for the disabled communities, which was new and intriguing for me. 

What project have you enjoyed the most?

I most enjoyed the sense-able computing project. Developing a method to ease the learning of programming for blind beginners was an incredible and valuable project, and I had an engaging and fun time researching, designing, and manufacturing our prototype.

What project are you working on now. What’s your role? 

I am currently working on the RAMP project. I’m specifically the manager of the data and research team, which aims to gather information and resources for other teams within RAMP to use and implement.

Future vision for lab. 

I’d love to eventually see our project products implemented by people and organizations outside of our lab. 

Anything you want to share about the lab

We have a universally adored lab buddy who we don’t get to see much anymore in the virtual setting: Karen’s service dog Momo! 

SpotLight: Nate Tilton

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Meet Nate Tilton – RadMad Disability Lab Manager and first year Graduate Student at UC Berkeley

How did you hear about the lab? 

I found out about the lab by looking at the URAP website. 

Q. What made you want to join the lab?

 I interviewed for two URAP’s, and after meeting Karen I knew I wanted to work in the lab. At the time we did not have a lab available and we had to meet in coffee shops or whatever spaces we could find to work on our projects like the #freebeepsproject and Blind Arudino. 

What project have you enjoyed the most?

Great question, I do not just have one. I’ve enjoyed all my – #freebeepsproject, Blind Arduino Team Gaming, Ramp

What project are you working on now? What’s your role? 

Ramp. I am on the core team, kinda like a jack of all trades. 

Future vision for lab. 

My vision for the lab, is for the lab to grow not only at Cal, but to spread to the other UC’s and beyond. 

Anything you want to share about the lab.

The lab is a wonderful space that I am so happy that I have been able to watch grow and its been my privilege to be part of it.

DISABILITY VISIBLE PROJECT INTERVIEWS

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Check out this podcast by Alice Wong’s Disability Visibility Podcast featuring Prof Karen Nakamura and Alex Locus (aka Glamputee) about their experience of being jury members for SuperFest.

Prof Karen Nakamura and Alex Locus (aka Glamputee)

Some highlights from the interview:
● Pushing towards representing Disability 201 instead of a basic introduction of what disability is
● Cross-disability solidarity reinforced through the use of community settings
● Moving chairs, so your group is not split up since only 1 companion allowed in accessible areas

Image Description: (LEFT) Alex, an above the knee amputee, poses joyously in a monochromatic light blue outfit and a dark blue bandana around his neck. Balancing on his crutches, he beams looking off into the distance with his dark brown, wavy hair framing his face. (RIGHT) Karen Nakamura, an Asian-American woman with short hair, holding her service dog Momo, a grey and white beagle. The photographs are studio quality.

RAD MAD IN THE TIME OF COVID

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With the shutdown in place due to the coronavirus, to say that we live in strange times is an understatement.

Before and After pictures of our Lab meetings as we moved from the live meetings (with lunch) to the new normal of “faces in boxes” zoom gatherings:

  • In-person Rad Mad Lab Meeting
    Lab Meetings before the Shelter-in-Place (with lunch)
  • Zoom Rad Mad Lab Meeting
    The now all too familiar picture of “callers in boxes” phenomenon of Zoom

In addition to the public health stresses, the shutdown has brought about challenges unique to college campuses as many students had to relocate back to their home or other places in the middle of the semester – all this at almost a moment’s notice. These disruptions have significantly impacted the amount of time many of the URAP’ers (Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program) in the Lab could dedicate to their respective projects in the lab.

What the Rad Mad Disability lab has done this semester can almost be split into what had was started and planned at the beginning of the semester and what the teams have been able to do to the limitations of the shutdown.

The RadMad Lab had started off the beginning of the semester brainstorming on project ideas and forming teams to take on different projects. Two of our teams from last semester Sense-Able Input P3 and Sense-Able Output Apple Pi came together as a single team Sense-Able Computing. Team Propaganda formed last semester continued as on the documentation and social media front. Two new teams were formed this semester to tackle new problems – Radical Mapping and Light Sensitivity. The shutdown has impacted some teams more than others due the physicality of the project or access to campus resources.

  • Team Light Sensitivity: Tyler Johnson, Sumbal Ghafoor, Brian Liu.
  • Sense-able Computing: Christian Leycam, Irlanda Gonzalez, Kitty Gu, Karen Nakamura (Student) and Ewan Seo.
  • Team Radical Mapping: Nate Tilton (Lab Manager), Kate Allison, Everett Woolsoncroft and Raga Kavari. 
  • Team Propaganda: Hari Srinivasan

The lab did manage to visit the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Imparied in San Francisco, on 3/4/2020. This was a mere few days before the social distancing measures came into effect in the Bay Area.

  • Rad Mad Lab Team smiling for a picture at Lighthouse
    Rad Mad Lab Team at Lighthouse
  • Rad Mad Lab members speaking into microphone
    Lighthouse was able to give valuable feedback and input on all the projects. The  lab teams were later able to do follow up zoom calls with Lighthouse for additional input and direction. 

The team also spent time looking at the features at Lighthouse which made it not just accessible but aesthetic and interesting for the Blind.

  • Braille signage displayed on walls
    Braille Signage
  • Water fountain with a Braille Math Book as the Back splash
    Water fountain with a Braille Math Book as the Back splash
  • Desk with a Cane Holder
    Desk with a Cane Holder

This strange and unusual semester winds down to a close now. The team will be back in fall with some new members as we continue to work on projects started from previous semesters.

Till then Rad Mad Lab wishes everyone a safe and healthy summer.

Rad Mad in the time of Covid

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With the shutdown in place due to the coronavirus, to say that we live in strange times is an understatement. 

Before and After pictures of our Lab meetings as we moved from the live meetings (with lunch) to the new normal of “faces in boxes” zoom gatherings.

Lab Meetings before the Shelter-in-Place (with lunch)
The now all too familiar picture of “callers in boxes” phenomenon of zoom

[Image description: Zoom meeting with 10 people including Karen Nakamura, Nate Tilton, Hari Srinivasan, Christian Leycam.]

In addition to the public health stresses, the shutdown has brought about challenges unique to college campuses as many students had to relocate back to their home or other places in the middle of the semester – all this at almost a moment’s notice. These disruptions have significantly impacted the amount of time many of the URAP’ers (Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program) in the Lab could dedicate to their respective projects in the lab. 

What the Rad Mad Disability lab has done this semester can almost be split into what had was started and planned at the beginning of the semester and what the teams have been able to do to the limitations of the shutdown. 

The RadMad Lab had started off the beginning of the semester brainstorming on project ideas and forming teams to take on different projects. Two of our teams from last semester Sense-Able Input P3 and Sense-Able Output Apple Pi came together as a single team Sense-Able Computing. Team Propaganda formed last semester continued as on the documentation and social media front. Two new teams were formed this semester to tackle new problems – Radical Mapping and Light Sensitivity. The shutdown has impacted some teams more than others due the physicality of the project or access to campus resources.  

  • Team Light Sensitivity: Tyler Johnson, Sumbal Ghafoor, Brian Liu.
  • Sense-able Computing: Christian Leycam, Irlanda Gonzalez, Kitty Gu, Karen Nakamura (Student) and Ewan Seo.
  • Team Radical Mapping: Nate Tilton (Lab Manager), Kate Allison, Everett Woolsoncroft and Raga Kavari. 
  • Team Propaganda: Hari Srinivasan 

The lab did manage to visit the Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Imparied in San Francisco, on 3/4/2020. This was a mere few days before the social distancing measures came into effect in the Bay Area.

Rad Mad Lab Team at Lighthouse

Lighthouse was able to give valuable feedback and input on all the projects. The  lab teams were later able to do follow up zoom calls with Lighthouse for additional input and direction. 

[Image description: five presenters, one sitting with a dog behind them on their chair.]

The team also spent time looking at the features at Lighthouse which made it not just accessible but aesthetic and interesting for the Blind.

Nate and Karen looking at braille signage
Braille Signage

[Image description: Nate and Karen looking at braille signage in a well lit hallway. A colorful patchwork quilt is on the wall behind them.]

Water fountain with a Braille Math Book as the Back splash
Desk with a Cane Holder