Jaclyn Larson, Advocacy and Family discipline faculty for ArizonaLEND, is asking switch users to test out a design and give feedback.
Jaclyn Larson, MPH, is Advocacy and Family discipline faculty for the ArizonaLEND program and is passionate about accessibility and design. She is also the parent of a child with neurodevelopmental disabilities who uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device. Her son, Aidan, uses switches to access his AAC device.
Jaclyn has been developing a prototype of an enclosure for Jellybean switches to be used with commercially available mounting equipment. She is currently looking for individuals who would like to test the design and provide feedback. This passion project of hers was born out of the need she saw for her son to have access to both his switch/communication device and independent movement of his wheelchair at the same time. The current ways to mount a switch to the wheelchair was not working for her son due to his unique needs with his visual impairment and impulse control issues.
Pictured on the right is a prototype of the switch enclosure Jaclyn designed.
Pictured on the left is Aidan, Jaclyn’s son, with his wheelchair tray and embedded switch to use his AAC device.
“I developed this design in conjunction with my son for a need we saw that was not met with traditional mounting hardware and systems for switch users,” Jaclyn stated.
“I strongly believe people should have access to communication and mobility at the same time. The previous way for my son to access his switch and therefore communication device was with his switch embedded in his wheelchair tray. But this was limiting his ability to also access his wheelchair wheels to be able to move independently. Aidan could only have access to one thing at a time, either moving independently or his communication device.”
Jaclyn hopes to improve the current design and work with the switch user community to make something together that works for many switch users. A double switch enclosure is in the works as well.
If you are interested in testing out the design and providing feedback reach out to Jaclyn. A 3D printed prototype will be shipped to you for user testing.
Jaclyn Larson
Email: [email protected]
Call or text: 520-621-2901
