The popular toy electric vehicles are usually activated by pressing a pedal and driven by using a steering wheel. But, for these children, they are adapted to include a switch activated by hand to substitute the accelerator pedal. Added features can also help children use the steering wheel, and physical support may be attached to help drivers sit upright and feel secure while exploring.
At an event hosted on campus on May 31, nine clients of KidsInclusive – children aging 1.5 through 3.5 years – and their families spent the day designing, building, and testing the adapted toy cars with support from 26 Queen’s staff and students, KidsInclusive staff, and community members. At the end of the workshop, families took home their new vehicles. Caregivers also learned what components of the adapted toy cars may potentially break and how to fix them.
The knowledge translation event, funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Connection Grant, draws inspiration from the Go Baby Go initiative led by the University of Delaware, which has expanded across the globe. It also builds on the work done by Dr. Davies throughout the past few years to help engineering students develop expertise in switch design, 3-D printing, sensors, and collaborative engagement – a program also funded by SSHRC through its Synthesis and Insight Development grants.
“Sometimes engineers work as if they were designing for themselves, or designing the devices that they think are best. But here, we are trying to make sure that they work together with their clients, understand their needs, and really listen to what they want – if the clients don’t like, you go back to square one,” says Dr. Davies.
The team will follow up with the families to understand their experiences with the devices after the event, and make further adjustments if necessary. Because all participants are also clients of KidsInclusive, the team expects to see them on a regular basis and monitor their development over time to evaluate the potential impact of this intervention. At the very least, these young drivers will for sure have lots of fun.
On May 31, children and their families spent the day designing, building, and testing the adapted toy cars
with support from 26 Queen’s staff and students, KidsInclusive staff, and community members.
This story originally appeared in the Queen’s Gazette.