BUMP Communication Board
Exhibited at Design TO Festival: Design for Health, Wellness, Aging & Inclusion (2020).
Goal:
Working alongside the Beverley School for children with developmental and/or physical disabilities, Bump was developed to aid the students with independent, purposeful decision making.
Solution:
Bump isheld in one hand by the teacher with an ergonomic grip, or can be propped up onits own. Two communication cards can be attached to the Burfab surface, one oneither side of the plastic divider. When held or placed in front of thestudent, they will select one of the choices by physically touching it withtheir hand. As the fine motor skills of the children are stilldeveloping, bump is designed to give them some assistance. If theirhand falls in-between the two choices, the rounded divider will guide theirhand to the desired choice. Bump encourages the children to makemeaningful decisions and to do so independently
When the student is comfortable with two-choice decisions, thelarge divider can be removed and replaced with the two smaller ones, allowingfor a physical barrier and guide between three decision cards. Lastly, oncebeyond three, all dividers can be removed and as many communication cards thatcan fit can be stuck to the board.
Bump is designed to be used with avariety of students and their different stages of development, this way bump canbe adapted to grow with their individual continued improvement. As well asbeing the only communication board that includes physical separation betweenchoices that is designed to both distinguish, and guide the user to achoice, Bump is completely food-safe and washable. Knowing thatcleanliness and proper sanitation in the classroom is of upmost importance
Bump has already begun to be used at The Beverley School with hope that it can continue to make an impact on the education andprogression of the students both there and beyond.