ADA facilitates the planning process from assessment, to brainstorming, to shared decision-making, to measurement, to design, to construction of the equipment.
Collaboration throughout the process is the best way of ensuring that the final product meets the child’s needs and is welcomed by everyone concerned.
ADA’s facility includes a workshop equipped with hand tools, power tools, and building materials including TriWall™ (triple-layered corrugated cardboard), wood, plastic, fabric, and basic electronics.
Current collaborations
Over the past year, ADA has been working on a “case study” project with teachers and therapists at PS 811M in New York City. The specific goals are to: build a wide variety of equipment for students, train staff to design and construct equipment, involve after-school students in painting and decorating, and most importantly, provide a model for other schools.
ADA is one of ten agencies participating in a two-year Preschool Inclusion Initiative funded by the New York Community Trust. The program’s goal is to support nonprofit preschools that have made a commitment to include preschoolers with disabilities. ADA consults with preschool teachers and therapists at four preschools, builds adaptive equipment for specific children, provides staff training, and supports planning for project continuatio
