Cardboard Creativity

November 14, 2016
by Jessica

Classes What are OS/OT?

Hello again!

As you may have noticed from my past few posts about the pediatrics course, it is very hand-on and interactive. Each week our professors try to make the content come to life for us, so it really makes the material stick. This past week, we focused on learning about adaptive seating and mobility devices (i.e., walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, etc.) especially built for children with disabilities. As you may have predicted, customized adaptive seating and mobility devices are REALLY expensive, and children often quickly grow out of their devices. What’s amazing is that there are organizations out there that specialize in building adaptive devices out of cardboard, since it is both cost-effective and customizable. I know what you’re thinking — cardboard, really?  It sounds like it would be flimsy, but these professionals have found ways to reinforce the cardboard so it is sturdy and durable. Check out Adaptive Design Association, if you’re interested in learning more about this! They have some cool videos in their learning library for each step they take to make customized equipment with cardboard.

In the spirit of creativity (and competition), our professor asked us to choose any piece of equipment in the classroom and adapt it for a child with disabilities — using cardboard. After building it, we had to “sell it” by presenting an infomercial. These infomercials were hilarious, to say the least. Here’s a photo of my team’s adaptive design — we decided to adapt a scooter board by adding a cardboard back and strap in front for trunk support. Since this is for a child, we decided to add some fun decorations to make it look like a submarine, aka the “USS Chan.”

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