For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here. You will be prompted to make a copy.

OVERVIEW

Every year, thousands of students who use wheelchairs attend schools across the United States. Yet many school spaces (classrooms, hallways, libraries and cafeterias) were not designed with wheelchair users in mind. Even with the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students with physical disabilities often face barriers that make it harder for them to learn, connect and participate fully in everyday school activities.

In recent decades, the creation of new assistive technologies has played an important role in increasing accessibility. People like Rosi Cooper, an inventor of wheelchair-related assistive technologies, have developed creative solutions to help ensure that individuals with disabilities are not limited in their daily experiences. While significant progress has been made, many parts of our society still remain inaccessible.

This is where students like you come in! This activity is designed to get you thinking about how you can use your invention and creative problem-solving skills to help make spaces more accessible for people with physical disabilities.

OUTCOMES

• Students will identify a space at school that is not ideal for a student using a wheelchair, and then redesign the space to make it more functional and accessible.
• Students will understand ways the invention process can be used to solve problems in their lives and communities.

MATERIALS

• Paper
• Pencil
• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Tape
• Any items that you can repurpose out of a recycle bin

VOCABULARY

Patent: A legal right to prevent others from making, selling, or importing an original product or idea. For more, see the USPTO.

Trademark: A legal right to prevent others from using original text or images associated with a product or business. For more, see the USPTO.

WARM-UP ACTIVITY

How a wheelchair challenge mobilized a high school to become more accessible

As a class, watch this PBS Student Reporting Labs video to learn more about the challenges faced by wheelchair users and how one student in Texas took action to make a difference. Then discuss the following questions:

• What are some of the key challenges that student
• What are some of the most effective designs that students came up with to help Arthur fully access all parts of the school?

MAIN ACTIVITY

Break into small groups, and do the following:

1. Identify a specific space or room in your school that poses a challenge for a person using a wheelchair. The space can be as small as a desk or doorway, or as large as an auditorium or gymnasium.

• Consider choosing a small area within a larger space, or focus on a specific item like a particular piece of furniture, a counter or anything a person would typically use.
• If there is time and students have permission, you might consider walking through the school to identify one or more such challenges.

1. Have each member of the group draw a modified design of the space or item you have chosen to focus on improving.

• After drawing your design, label the components and materials that are part of your new invention.

1. As a group, discuss each of your ideas, including how to improve each, and vote on one to make into a small model.
2. Make a small-scale model of your new inventive space or item. Use the materials listed above or provided to you by your teacher/adult. Consider using a doll or action figure as a person to help scale your model.

DEBRIEF

1. Have each group take turns sharing their models.
2. As a class, discuss — what common features did the models have? Did they address the same problem? What could be some next steps to take to make your school more accessible? Who could help make changes to school infrastructure possible?

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

1. Click here to read Rosi Cooper's bio.
2. Watch this PBS “Careers that Work” segment on physical therapists. You can also read about the profession here. Then discuss — how do you think physical therapists might help make school more accessible for students with disabilities?
3. Check out this example of young students from Staten Island, NY, who invented a wheelchair cushion. You can watch a video interview with one of the inventors here, or listen to a segment about them here. Discuss — what steps did these students take to turn their idea into a real product?
4. The Staten Island InvenTeam’s invention is very similar to the wheelchair cushion that inventor Rosi
5. Cooper holds a patent for. You can view her patent here: Patent US11564854B2

About the author

Doug Scott teaches Engineering and Robotics at Hopkinton High School in Massachusetts. Doug and the Natick High School InvenTeam participated in the Lemelson-MIT Program's EurekaFest in 2013. In the spring of 2014, Doug accompanied two student representatives from Natick to the fourth White House Science Fair. Just a few years later, their invention was awarded U.S. Patent 20,140,360,420. Doug was awarded the 2014 Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year and continues to be an advocate for invention education for all. Follow Doug on Twitter @mrscottbot.

Be sure to check out PBS News Hour Classroom's Invention Education collection, full of lessons and video stories featuring student inventors and their teachers.

We also have an Invention Educator Network (no experience necessary!), which brings together teachers from various subjects and grade levels to discuss all things invention & innovation. Sign up here to learn more.

STANDARDS

NGSS Standards Grades 3-12:

3-5-ETS1-1.

Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

3-5-ETS1-2.

Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

3-5-ETS1-3.

Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

MS-ETS1-1.

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-4.

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

HS-ETS1-1.

Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

HS-ETS1-2.

Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

HS-ETS1-3.

Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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