Adaptive Design Hudson Valley

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Adaptive Design Hudson Valley

Building durable, custom accessibility devices out of cardboard to change lives! Diversity creating accessibility, locally in the Hudson Valley.

02/25/2026

This past Saturday we hosted an in-person, hands-on continuing education course for occupational therapists at our Kingston shop. Occupational therapists in New York are required to complete 36 hours of AOTA-approved continuing education every three years. We are proud to offer a course that is hands on, collaborative, and rooted in real-world problem solving.

Participants moved through mock assessments, design planning, tool safety, cardboard carpentry, and device fabrication. The challenge of the day? Designing a solution so Betty Lou, our child-sized model with low tone, could safely participate in building at the chompsaw. By the end of the session, the group had created a custom stander that fully supported her upright positioning, freeing her hands to work independently.

Therapists left with new fabrication skills, fresh perspective on low-tech solutions, and the confidence to build in the future.
We plan to host our next CEU course at the end of April. Stay tuned for the date announcement.

02/24/2026

Gabby is a student at a local elementary school with a big goal: to walk again.

In collaboration with Gabby, her 1:1 aide, and her school physical therapist, we designed a custom stander that allows her to step into supported upright positioning on her own terms. She can fully relax into the frame for support, or push herself to stand independently and hold her own body weight — building strength without the fear of falling.

We added a removable writing surface so standing does not only happen during therapy time. Gabby can choose to stand while doing classwork, participate in activities, or simply multitask with her peers.

While commercial standers exist, they are often costly, sterile in appearance, and not designed with personalization in mind. Gabby chose pink and purple. Those details matter. When devices feel approachable and dignified, they are used more consistently — and repetition is essential for progress.

If your school or therapy team is looking for collaborative, custom adaptive solutions, we would love to connect.

02/11/2026

Victoria is currently an OTA student who loves problem-solving, working with her hands, and finding creative ways to support others — which makes Adaptive Design Hudson Valley a natural fit. She first discovered ADHV during a field trip with her class from SUNY Orange, and we were lucky enough to welcome her back when she was placed with us for the first of her two required fieldwork experiences.
What drew Victoria in? The magic of cardboard. Seeing how something so simple can be transformed into a tool for independence, access, and joy sealed the deal.
One of her favorite parts of the work is visiting recipients and doing test fits — watching ideas turn into real, functional devices. Lately, she’s been especially excited about customizing a wheelchair tray with risers, exploring new ways to make each device feel truly personal.
In the shop, Victoria shines through collaboration. She values hearing different perspectives, experimenting with how cardboard can be transformed, and leaning into the “if there’s a problem, we can make a solution” mindset that drives our work.
Outside of ADHV, you’ll find her crafting, listening to music, or gaming — all things that speak to her creativity and curiosity.
Victoria has been a valuable, thoughtful, and hands-on addition to our team. She jumped right in, brought a designer’s mind and a helper’s heart, and fully immersed herself in what we do. We’ll be sad to see her go in just a few weeks, but we’re so grateful for the time, care, and energy she’s shared with ADHV.
Thank you, Victoria, for being part of our community.

02/10/2026

Join us for our upcoming in-person continuing education course for OT & OTA practitioners — a hands-on introduction to adaptive design using cardboard fabrication to create real-world assistive devices.

Saturday, Feb 21 | 10am–2pm
ADHV Shop — 32 Cedar St, Kingston, NY
4 AOTA-approved CEUs
$160 per participant
Limited to 12 participants — first come, first served

This course is all about human-centered problem solving: mock client assessment, collaborative design, tool safety, and building a custom adaptive device you can take inspiration from into your own practice. No prior fabrication experience needed — just curiosity and a willingness to get hands-on.

👉 Registration is open now — sign up through our website:
adaptivedesignhv.org/ceu

We can’t wait to learn and build alongside you.

02/04/2026

We’re excited to announce our upcoming in-person continuing education course for OT & OTA practitioners — a hands-on introduction to adaptive design using cardboard fabrication to create real-world assistive devices.

Saturday, Feb 21 | 10am–2pm
ADHV Shop — 32 Cedar St, Kingston, NY
4 AOTA-approved CEUs
$160 per participant
Limited to 12 participants — first come, first served

You can expect human-centered problem solving: mock client assessment, collaborative design, tool safety, and building a custom adaptive device you can take inspiration from into your own practice. No prior fabrication experience needed — just curiosity and a willingness to get hands-on. Share this post with the OT & OTA practitioners in your life.

👉 Registration is open now — sign up through our website:
adaptivedesignhv.org/ceu

Questions? Reach us at info@adaptivedesignhv.com
Inclement weather backup date: Saturday, Feb 28

We can’t wait to learn and build alongside you!

01/29/2026

We’re thrilled to share a bit about our recent collaboration with ENTA (Education Network for Teachers & Artists)! ENTA helped pave the way for our 5-week course by identifying the perfect classroom fit in the 7th grade Tech Class at Bulkeley Middle School with the wonderful teacher Mr. Joy. They provided enthusiastic support staff and helped secure funding for the program through the Rhinebeck Science Foundation, and we couldn’t be more grateful for these partnerships!

Over the course of 10 hands-on sessions, students built bouncy footrests — adaptive seating tools that promote healthy posture, dynamic engagement, and improved focus by allowing gentle movement while seated. But this was about far more than just a device. We supported ~35 learners as they explored invaluable skills including design thinking, tool safety, collaboration, problem solving, and social-emotional growth while building these useful tools for their own school community.

Thank you to:
ENTA for your vision and support
Mr. Joy and Bulkeley Middle School for welcoming us into your classroom
Rhinebeck Science Foundation for funding this meaningful project
& the 7th grade tech students for jumping into the work with curiosity and care

We’re so proud of this project and even more excited to find ways to grow collaborative learning like this in the future!
If you are interested in building a course with ADHV reach out to info@adaptivedesignhv.com

01/28/2026

“The Big Inch” by Greg Dette is a tactile, educational piece that turns measurement into something you can truly see and feel. Built from cardboard, this work helps learners of all ages visualize the relationship between fractions of an inch — from sixteenths all the way to a full inch.
With the sensibility of an artist and the precision of an engineer, he created a tool that is both beautiful and functional a perfect reflection of Adaptive Design Hudson Valley.
We’re grateful to Greg for this thoughtful contribution to our grand opening art auction and for helping show just how powerful simple materials can be when paired with curiosity and care.

01/27/2026

Huge thanks to Rondout Savings Bank for their generous $500 donation to Adaptive Design Hudson Valley!

After touring our shop in October, their team has been true champions of our mission — from making this gift possible to planning a future group volunteer day to get hands-on with device building. This photo might feature an extra-large check, but what really stands out is the genuine support behind it.

It’s partnerships like this rooted in community, curiosity, and care that keep ADHV going. We are incredibly grateful to Rondout Savings Bank and the wonderful people who work there for believing in what we do and showing up in such meaningful ways.

Thank you for being part of our village.

01/19/2026

Independence looks different for everyone for Olivia, it’s built one step at a time.
After the success of Olivia’s classroom desk access stairs, her family reached out to us with a new request for home. This time, the goal was bathroom access. Before these stairs, using the toilet independently wasn’t an option. Now, it is.

Olivia’s mom, Stephanie, shared: “Olivia loves it.”
She also told us that devices like these “give her the freedom to be independent,” and that her desk stairs at school “allow her to feel a sense of inclusion with her classmates.”

That’s why we do what we do. Creating setting-specific solutions that meet real needs, at home or at school, and open the door to dignity, independence, and belonging.
We’re so grateful to Olivia and her family for continuing to trust us and for letting us share her journey.

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32 Cedar Street
Kingston, NY

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