Charity Auction Raises Funds to Build Customized Equipment for Disabled Children

Decorated chairs made out of cardboard are on display at the Adaptive Design Association’s Manhattan office in New York, Thursday, October 23, 2014. The artwork was part of a charity auction to benefit the nonprofit organization, which builds customized furniture made out of cardboard for disabled children. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)

New York—Shannon Thomason wanted her son to be able to play with other children in the neighborhood, and go on family bike rides. 

But 4-year-old Emmett has cerebral palsy, a disability that has limited his ability to move and talk.

Then Thomason found out about the Adaptive Design Association through her son’s preschool. The nonprofit makes furniture and equipment out of cardboard for children, customizing them to accommodate their disabilities.

For Emmett, the association designed a special bike seat and a chalkboard desk for him to draw on—so he could play with sidewalk chalk along with the other children.

Therapists, classroom teachers, and families can request the association to make all types of equipment. 

Designers make personal visits to the child in need, taking measurements and creating mockups before a final version is completed. 

To create equipment that builds the child’s strength and makes him or her more comfortable at the same time, designers make adjustments like tilting the seats, and adding footrests, straps, and headrests. 

All of the equipment is made with a sturdy triple-layer cardboard material, sliced and glued together using simple tools. 

The organization hopes to export this low-tech design method to different parts of the city (it currently operates out of Manhattan), and eventually all over the world. 

So far, the organization has initiated projects in Guatemala, Ecuador, and Bolivia, where they have taught locals how to create similar designs.

Furniture designer Rocío Alonso demonstrates building customized furniture out of sturdy cardboard, at the Adaptive Design Association's Manhattan office in New York, Thursday, October 23, 2014. The nonprofit organization builds equipment for disabled children and hopes to export its low-tech, easy-to-learn design to other parts of the world. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times)