Adaptive Design Hudson Valley

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

We are excited to announce our next Continuing Education course for occupational therapy practitioners.Adaptive Design i...
03/09/2026

We are excited to announce our next Continuing Education course for occupational therapy practitioners.
Adaptive Design in Practice: Cardboard Fabrication for Real-World Solutions is a hands-on workshop where participants learn how to design and fabricate custom assistive devices using cardboard.
Participants will explore mock client assessment, collaborative problem solving, cardboard carpentry techniques, and complete a full device build during the session.

Register here:
https://adaptivedesignhv.org/ceu

Course Details
Saturday, April 18
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Inclement Weather Date: April 25
Location: Adaptive Design Hudson Valley Shop
32 Cedar Street, Kingston, NY
Participants will receive 4 CEU credits.
Cost: $160
Space is limited and registration is first come, first served. Please visit our website to register.
If you are an OT or OTA, we encourage you to share this opportunity within your professional circles.

Last week we welcomed Matt to the shop from the Center for Discovery.Matt is a biomedical engineer who works in their fa...
03/03/2026

Last week we welcomed Matt to the shop from the Center for Discovery.

Matt is a biomedical engineer who works in their fabrication shop creating adaptive equipment for residents who live on campus. He came to ADHV to learn more about building a cardboard stander for one of the individuals he supports.

Matt arrived with measurements, design requirements, and thoughtful questions. Together we worked through the steps of our fabrication process, shared techniques, and helped him begin constructing the device. By the end of the day he was able to bring the nearly completed stander back to continue the work with his client.

We value opportunities like this to exchange ideas and keep adaptive design knowledge open and collaborative. The more people building and sharing solutions, the more access we create.

This past Saturday we hosted an in-person, hands-on continuing education course for occupational therapists at our Kings...
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.





Gabby is a student at a local elementary school with a big goal: to walk again.In collaboration with Gabby, her 1:1 aide...
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.

Victoria is currently an OTA student who loves problem-solving, working with her hands, and finding creative ways to sup...
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.

Join us for our upcoming in-person continuing education course for OT & OTA practitioners — a hands-on introduction to a...
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.

We’re excited to announce our upcoming in-person continuing education course for OT & OTA practitioners — a hands-on int...
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!

We’re thrilled to share a bit about our recent collaboration with ENTA (Education Network for Teachers & Artists)! ENTA ...
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

“The Big Inch” by Greg Dette is a tactile, educational piece that turns measurement into something you can truly see and...
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.

Address

32 Cedar Street
Kingston, NY

Website

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60a458994fd36665ebbe4501/t/680baf6e6

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