Emily loves school and especially lunchtime. She is a good sport and almost always has a smile. But her days were also filled with frustration: Her therapeutic chair was cumbersome, it didn’t allow her to scoot up to the work tables where she could learn alongside her friends and she was isolated at lunchtime; she had to use a tray attached to her chair. Emily was missing out. Emily’s school reached out to ADA to see if a chair could be made that could support her body and allow her to sit at work tables with her classmates.
“Emily is growing fast and I wanted to create a chair that could support her growth and strengthen her torso.” said ADA designer Eric Gottshall. “Every one of our designs are unique to an individual’s needs” said Eric. “I wanted this chair to be simple, to adjust, and to fit easily on the work and lunch table benches. I wanted Emily to have a chair the staff could easily assist her getting in and out of at lunchtime.. Eric designed and built a chair out of wood, that even the lunchroom chef was excited about!.
Emily loved her new lunchtime positioning, but she also needed a different kind of chair that could be rolled around the classroom to easily move from activity to activity. Emily’s teacher contacted ADA and Eric took on a second challenge to help Emily get the most out of her days at school. “Emily already had a therapeutic ready-made chair that was sturdy and well crafted but still was not quite exactly what Emily and her care team needed. I was able to customize this chair so that there was a perfect fit and room for her to grow.
Emily’s “roll around” chair had a base made of wood with a golden glow that shines as brightly as her smile. Included are wheels and footrests, custom-made by Eric. It can be rolled from place to place so that Emily does not have to be transferred from chair-to-chair throughout the day.
Delivery day was a celebration day for Emily! She now has two chairs that allow her to work closely with her classmates, work on activities, and enjoy lunchtime with her buddies. These chairs are just for her, allowing her to enjoy her days at school like never before.
Adaptive Design produces customized adaptive equipment for children every day. We are dedicated to using innovative designs and incorporating fun into our devices. Removing barriers is what we do. We can only do this innovative work with the support of generous donors. We invite you to help us so that we can help girls like Emily to thrive. Please join us!
👉 Check out more content about Emily's experience with her new chair on our social media.