Adaptive design - life made accessible through cardboard.

My last blog explored how to make disabled aides in developing countries. This week's blog will focus on a NGO based in New York who adapt cardboard to make aides for disabled people.

The Adaptive Design association first started out in 1981 when Alex Truesdell, an early childhood teacher from the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston, met Erin, an infant with severe multiple disabilities. A short time after Alex's Aunt Lynn lost the use of her fingers and thumbs following a spinal cord injury. With the help of her Uncle, Alex started to adapt different types of materials to customise solutions for Erin and her Aunt Lynn.

Over the next few years, Alex set up a small workshop in her basement and made many more adaptions for children at the school. Eventually the school hired Alex fulltime to start the Assistive Device Center, a program now in its 28th year.

Image courtesy of Kristen Hastings 

The mission of the Adaptive Design Association  (ADA) is to ensure that people with disabilities are able to fulfil their potential in all spheres of life. ADA help adapt materials for self-care, communication, social activities, academic and vocational potential. Each person receives their own custom adaption to suit their need. The organisation also runs a full range of hands-on education, from basic introduction to apprenticeships, for people wanting to establish Adaptive Design Center's within their schools, organisations and communities across the globe.

Kristen Hastings an occupational therapist from the USA who I met in Viet Nam when she volunteered at a rehabilitation centre I was working with, took the three day course with ADA. Kristen's motivation for embarking on the course was her experience volunteering at a rehabilitation centre in Hanoi, Viet Nam. Throughout her experience Kristen worked endlessly to adapt wheelchairs by using towels, thera-bands and other materials to correctly position each child. The course run in New York offered Kristen a chance to develop new skills when she works overseas in developing countries.

Image courtesy of Kristen Hastings 

The three day course includes the basics such as how to measure accurately, how to cut the cardboard using various power and hand-tools; to more complex tasks such as how to manipulate the cardboard. Kristen choose to learn how to make chair inserts as part of her final task on the last day. The chair inserts fit into a wheelchair which would position children in the most optimal position.

The course has enabled Kristen to develop sustainable solutions to rehabilitation and care in the developing world. Cardboard is a accessible material in many developing countries and with limited access to equipment designed for disabilities, engineering aides from cardboard is a lifeline for developing countries.

This simple idea of manipulating and adapting a low cost material allows more and more people with disabilities to access their world. Kristen Hastings commented 'positioning is key for so many who have a disability. With the proper supports, the body is free to focus more on eating, playing, writing etc. With increased accessibility to engage in your environment comes increased socialisation with others. With increased engagement and participation in one's environment comes increased quality of life."

By enabling a person to draw, play a musical instrument, wash their own hands or improve their communication skills to develop their potential. So often disabled peoples options are very limited due to a lack of accessibility.

Adaptive design provide great solutions for everyday uses. Although the organisation is located in New York they encourage individuals to spread the word and ideas. ADA hope to train other professionals, opening more workshops across the United States as well as other countries. By connecting more people across countries Adaptive Design is leading the way to creating greater accessibility for individuals in multiple communities across the globe.

Please consider supporting this NGO by donating.