June 14, 2014
Open Style Lab (OSL) is a 10-week Boston-area summer program (June 13-August 16, 2014) for design, occupational therapy and engineering students to create clothing solutions for people with disabilities collaboratively. Thirty fellows have been selected this summer to work with clients in the Boston area -- think "Project Runway" for people with disabilities. In addition to working throughout the week, teams are meeting every Saturday (on campus at MIT) to attend workshops on disability, design, and assistive technology, share progress, and discuss lessons learned. The work will culminate with presentations at the Museum of Science in October.
This video profile provides a sense of the kinds of design challenges that Open Style Lab seeks to address:
Open Style Lab: Barbara (video credit: Jessica Bal)
Through the MIT Assistive Technology Club, I've been fortunate to have seen a glimpse of the incredible, thoughtful preparation that the team has put into assembling the program -- they've found amazing and fellows, clients, speakers, mentors, and supporters. OSL is definitely something worth watching this summer through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and their blog, or in person if you're in the Boston area.
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