Finding the Right Equipment
to Change Lives
There’s a workshop tucked away near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport that focuses on changing lives — identifying, modifying and building customized equipment that give children with disabilities hope and opportunity. It’s called the ADAPT Shop, one of several Easterseals disabilities services provided by Southwest Human Development. It’s a place where every project begins with an idea based on a specific need and ends with a family helped and a child’s life improved.
Families in search of answers get help from the ADAPT Shop in determining what equipment would be most helpful for their child whether custom made or commercially available. Then the program’s team of specialists work with the family and collaborate with other professionals involved in the child’s care to make that vision a reality.
The ADAPT Shop’s mission is to help young children with disabilities, ages birth to 5, develop the competence and confidence they need to become independent and active participants in their home, school and community.
Sometimes even the most simple, low-tech equipment can help a child become more functional in his or her daily activities and reach their fullest potential. That equipment might be custom seating that helps a child sit up on his or her own, a toy that’s been modified so a child can now play with it and develop new skills, or a custom scooter so they can more easily explore with their friends at home and in school.
The ADAPT Shop is meeting a need that’s simply not met in many places throughout the country. There’s a lack of specialized equipment available for younger children with disabilities, and as a result, their growth and quality of life can suffer. The ADAPT Shop’s goal is to change that and to provide children and their families with the supports needed to enjoy life and increase their capabilities.