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WHAT WE DO

 Creating user-specific adaptations benefits everyone: those inspiring and receiving adaptations (the “users”), those who imagine and request adaptations (the “advocates”), and those who design and build adaptations (the “makers”). 

     As thousands of visitors can attest, we encourage everyone to design and build user-specific adaptations and become part of an “association” of adaptive design projects across the globe.

     To promote adaptive design communities we offer courses, presentations, field trips and internship opportunities.
     We encourage organizations and schools to send highly motivated staff to New York City for intensive study.

FEATURED

PROJECT

Adaptive Design Association - New York City

A flat tray, roughly square, has a u-shaped cutout on one side to accommodate a child's torso, so the tray fits around the front of her body.  A metal clip from a clipboard is visible at the opposite edge of the tray, to hold papers in the right position for the child to see or write on.  The tray is painted bright yellow and decorated with butterflies.

NEW WORKSHOP AT DOE

     Adaptive Design is working with the NYC Department of Education to expand its existing Work-Based Learning options. 

     Since 2013, Transitional Education students within District 75 have made standardized adaptive items for other students, learning pre-vocational and vocational skills in the process.

     In 2019, this successful model is being taken a step further.  A workshop has opened at P186 in the Bronx that will go beyond the standard items to build custom-made adaptations for individual students, as well.  Students from P186 and nearby P811 will make the items.

FEATURED TOOL

EVENTS

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Building with cardboard for a good cause - Airbnb

Sign up with family and friends for an Adaptive Design experience through Airbnb.  Travelers and locals are welcome.  Every Thursday, starting August 2019.

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New courses from Adaptive Design

Our cardboard carpentry courses have gone on hiatus.  Stay tuned for new courses offerings, starting October 1.  Sign up to be notified when new coureses are available.

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SEWING MACHINE     

Adaptive Design's adaptations are made from much more than cardboard and glue. 

     A padded vest for a child's bicycle seat, a padded seat with foot slings used by a father to carry his daughter to school on his motorcycle, a pelvic positioning belt on a student's classroom chair--are just a few of the items made of fabric, webbing, foam, elastic and so on, for which we use sewing machines.

     Ours are industrial machines: simple, but strong and reliable for sewing through multiple layers of thick materials.

FEATURED VIDEO
Tamara Morgan, seated in front ofa mural ofballerinas.

ARTIST/TALK SHOW HOST

TAMARA MORGAN

PRODUCED BY

DISABILITIES REDEFINED

ADA's own Community Partnerships specialist,Tamara Morgan, was interviewed by talk show host Dr. Truett Vaigneur in the summer of 2018.  Soon thereafter, she became a regular co-host herself on this cable TV series.  Talk about a rapid rise to stardom!

(7 min)

See other episodes in the series. 

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