Designing for One
A wearable leg-support strap for a non-verbal boy with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, worn over everyday sneakers instead of heavy orthotic boots.
- Role
- Designer and researcher, with Paulina Arredondo; Designing for One course, LUCA School of Arts (lecturers Andrea Wilkinson and Niels Hendriks)
- Where
- Sint Gerardus, Belgium, 2025; two consecutive weeks in the school
- Methods
- Participatory observation alongside a carer; work with the pupil's teacher and physiotherapist; ethnographic work with the pupil; rapid prototyping tried in the classroom
- Ethics
- Handled by the university supervisors
what was done
Two weeks in a classroom of middle-school pupils with PIMD: observing, consulting staff, working with one non-verbal pupil and interacting with the others. Fit and comfort were treated as equity, diversity and inclusion questions, with accessible participation as the priority.
what came out
An adjustable strap worn over jeans and regular sneakers: one strap around the calf, one around the foot, linked by an adjustable front strap, so a caregiver can stabilise the leg with a few belt-like closures instead of rebuilding the whole brace-and-shoe set-up. A "middle option" between full orthotic support and none, for shorter classroom moments. Next steps proposed: review with orthotists and parents, then trials with more pupils.
