Coming to a city near you: DIY AT

Professionals and students work together
to build a custom-made seat for a young
child with disabilities.

Training program brings low-tech assistive technology techniques to communities in rural Utah

Earlier this year, Logan AT Lab Coordinator Clay Christensen participated in an event that inspired us all. He teamed up with CPD occupational therapist Amy Henningsen to help people from different backgrounds make assistive technology--and their creations addressed specific needs of people from the community.

Building on that idea, the Utah Assistive Technology Program at Utah State University will begin teaching low-tech assistive technology methods to students, teachers, parents, and professionals in rural Utah, thanks to a grant funded by the Center for Persons with Disabilities's Interagency Outreach and Training Initiative. These workshops will address an identified need of a person in the community, and local students and professionals will have the chance to participate in a hands-on exercise to design and build a low-tech device.

Some examples of devices that could be built:

• A custom-made chair that helps a child with low muscle tone sit upright and in the correct position;
• An iPad holder that allows a person with limited motor skills to access an iPad independently;
• A device that helps a person with limited mobility get in and out of bed safely.

Want us to come to your town? Contact Alma Burgess. Let's build something!