ADAPTING AND DESIGNING PRODUCTS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Elizabeth M. O'Donnell Skating Association For The Blind and Handicapped, Inc. 548 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, New York 14222

ABSTRACT

Ice skating has been largely inaccessible to persons with severe disabilities. Through our experience in SABAH, The Skating Association For The Blind and Handicapped, Inc., a series of devices have been designed to make skating more accessible. With our planned national expansion over the next five years, more persons with all levels of disabilities with be able to ice skate successfully.

BACKGROUND

The Skating Association For The Blind and Handicapped, Inc. (SABAH), is entering its 20th year of teaching persons with physical and mental disabilities to ice skate. Starting at 16 months of age through adulthood over 8,000 persons have learned to skate successfully. Trained voluteers work one on one or two on one with the skaters to develop skills, and skaters progress to more challenging skill levels. All skaters participate and perform in an annual ice show spectacular that over 12,000 spectators attend. Currently 4,000 people around the country desire a SABAH program in their communities.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

As the program has grown persons with increasing severity of physical disabilities have desired to be included. Spina Bifida, Spastic Cerebral Palsy and a variety of conditions in which the student is not able to bear weight have necessitated new equipment. Special foot and orthotic needs have necessitated new skate designs. Three types of walkers, three types of ice skates and two types of harnesses have been recently developed to address these needs.

RATIONALE

In the matter of the ice skates there was nothing on the market that fit a skater wearing an AFO, or other orthotics. There also was nothing appropriate for persons with Down Syndrome or Clubbed Feet. The walkers that were available went out of business and there was nothing available for the partial or non-weight bearing skater. The harnesses that were available did not work well in this setting and were very expensive.

DESIGN

Walkers: To adapt walkers, a skater's father welded pipes in his basement and brought a few basic designs to the rink. As the skaters used the new walkers, we changed the width, height of the support bar and overall dimensions to accommodate the leg and gait swing necessary for skating movement. A similar process was used for the non-weight bearing skaters additionally incorporating a sling seat in the center of the walker. A third height was added to the basic model walker.

Skates: Based on my experience as a professional skater and as a teacher of over 8,000 persons with disabilities. I contacted Riedell, a major skate manufacturer and expressed my frustration in trying to fit AFO's into skates and the problem with fitting persons with Down Syndrome and Clubbed Feet. They suggested that I design something and they would work with us as the manufacturer.

Harness: I asked our costume designer to create what was needed for torso support including where the handles needed to be for the volunteers.

DEVELOPMENT

A trial and error period followed the design phase where multiple users were put in the walkers and the design was continually modified and improved. The feet of children and adults with Down Syndrome and Clubbed Feet were photographed and measured. AFO's were collected and studied in a similar matter. At the skate factory I picked out materials to be include in the new skate design. Working with their custom skate specialist, I communicated the design changes necessary. For model #1, for persons with Down Syndrome or Clubbed Feet fourteen changes were necessary from their basic skate design. For model #2 for persons wearing AFO's all of the first fourteen changes and an additional 10 were necessary. A few models of each type were made and put on the ice. Over time additional changes became apparent. The harnesses were tested in the same manner and materials occasionally changed.

EVALUATION

Last month the RERC on Technology Evaluational Transfer convened experts in the orthotic and gait fields in Buffalo to examine the designs and see the skates in use. The RERC-TET is evaluating these products for potential commercialization. The unanimous feedback was very positive. All these speicalists were excited that such products had been designed and tested with users and they were excited about the future availability of the skates for their clients.

DISCUSSION

The skates and other products are helping persons with disabilites skate. The SABAH program is successful in Western New York and with nineteen years experience and over 8,000 SABAH skaters is planning a national expansion over the next five years. SABAH's expansion will provide larger markets for these products.

REFERENCES

None

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to acknowledge the Riedell Shoes, Inc., company for their support in the skate development and Franbilt, Inc., for their work on the walker designs and Susan Drabik for her help with the harnesses. Thanks also to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitiation Research, U.S. Department of Education for funding the RERC-TET.

Elizabeth M. O'Donnell c/o The Skating Association For The Blind and Handicapped, Inc. 548 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, New York 14222 (716) 883-9728