DIY Stand for Mobile Devices
Simple Inexpensive Easy Three reasons to love this easy-to-make stand for the iPad or Tablet. Take a look and click through for instructions.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tag Archive: DIY
Make It PrAACtical: DIY Customizable Stylus
Lost your stylus? Have a kid who’s really tough on them? Need to customize one for a client with motor concerns? Theresa Willkomm and the team at the New Hamphire AT project has a great video that gives us a few different options.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: assistive technology, AT, DIY, stylus, Theresa Willkomm
Watch It Wednesday: Towards an Inclusive Maker Movement
Where we live, the DIY movement has impacted everything from home repairs, to decorating, to assistive technology. We love the idea of empowering clients, families, and professionals to take things into their own hands to make, adapt, use, and share. Take a look at Meryl Alper’s Ignite session on the topic of building an inclusive maker culture.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: assistive technology, community, DIY, inclusion, Meryl Alper
Make It PrAACtical: Cell Phone Stand
AAC professionals are generally big proponents of multimodal communication. These days, it seems like almost everyone has a cell phone and many of the AAC learners with whom we work use them for texting. If you need a low-cost stand for a cell phone, take a look at this video from the New Hampshire AT Project. With a little stabilization, this might be just the ticket for some of our prAACtical friends. Direct Link to Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQhRhKFWklo&feature=share&list=UUOhlN8JnAwdYrhWEdWpmE3g&index=3
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: AT in NH, cellphone stand, DIY, mount, New Hampshire AT Project, phone
Make It PrAACtical: Adapted Writing Tool
It seems like we’re always looking for the ‘perfect’ tool to help some of our prAACtical friends. Yes, we have several varieties but it always seems like the person we are working with at the moment needs something a little different. And, of course, there’s no budget to buy one. Here’s a nice little tutorial for making an adapted writing tool. Hope there are some Do-It-Yourselfers out there who will appreciate this as much as we did.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: adapted writing, alternative pencil, DIY, writing
Make it PrAACtical: Make Your Own Battery Interrupters (without Soldering!)
Battery interrupters used to be cheap. I know I’m dating myself, but who else remembers getting them for under five bucks? They are such useful little buggers to have around so that battery-operated toys, CD players, etc can be quickly adapted for switch use. We’ve talked about adapting battery-operated toys for switch use, but you always need a battery interrupter. We were thrilled to come across this no-solder instructable for making them ourselves and figured that there have to be a few other DIY-loving prAACtical folks about there. Take a look. Direct Link: http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Solder-Battery-Interrupter/
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: battery adapter, battery interrupter, DIY
Make It PrAACtical: Display Stand for Visual Supports or Books
In an earlier post, we shared a wonderful video on making a portable stand for a communication book. Today, we look at a different approach to book stands, which would be great for the reading material or visual supports that the communicator needs to see. We love that it is lightweight, easy to transport and store, and inexpensive to make. Hats off to the wonderful team at AT in New Hampshire for this terrific video. The direct link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EeX7bIKiEU.
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: ATinNH, book stand, DIY
Make Your Own Communication Book Stand
How can you make AAC learning easier with an empty binder and some duct tape? Stay tuned! Mary-Louise Bertram demonstrates how to make a portable stand for a PODD book, that could also work well for other kinds of communication books. Not only is this an inexpensive DIY solution, but one that allows you to use the book flat on the table or angled on the stand. Great for aided language input! We love the idea of repurposing for 3-ring binders, too. Here is the direct link, if you need it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJUKepEX4Xk
Filed under: Video of the Week
Tagged With: communication book, DIY, Mary-Lousie Bertram, PODD book
Make It PrAACtical: Modify a Battery-Operated Toy to Make It Accessible by Switches
Professionals of a certain age (ahem) may remember when the only switch-accessible toys we had to work with were the ones we adapted ourselves. Now, of course, there are a wide range of battery-operated toys that are already switch-accessible and we can buy as many as the budget will allow. The problem is that most of us have pretty limited resources for purchasing these toys, and a quick search yielded adapted toys in a wide price range ($45.00-$250.00 USD). Buying regular (non-adapted) battery-operated toys and then adapting them yourself is another option. This video explains the principles. “Me?? Adapt a toy for switches?! But I’m not handy.” “That’s okay. You don’t have to be.” The easiest way is to use an inexpensive battery interrupter. You can purchase them in various sizes (e.g. AAA, AA, C, D) or make your own. You can learn more about battery interrupters and how to... [Read More...]
Filed under: PrAACtical Thinking
Tagged With: battery adapter, DIY, switch accessible, switches, toys