The Impossible Project

Making Philadelphia Schools More Accessible for Students in Wheelchairs

By: Katie Park, Anaya Wells, Cameron Donnelly, Olivia Sipler, and Sierra Vogel
Cultivating Creativity in the K-8 Classroom
Summer 2021
Examples of Non-Inclusive
Seating in Schools
Even desks without attached chairs can be
too low for wheelchairs.
These tables are geared toward more able-bodied students.
Any space hanging off the ends of the table are sometimes
not big enough for a person in a wheelchair to stay there
comfortably.
There are desks designed for people in
wheelchairs that come with a steep price tag.
In comparison:
In comparison, again:
Tables for people in wheelchairs often look like this, which can
physically distance students from their more able-bodied peers.
Why is this important?
Self-Determination
limited participation seldom “best in class”

usable objects unavailable

 Our solution:
A table extension that can clip onto the
edge of most surfaces, allowing
students with physical disabilities to join
a space with their peers on their own
account.
 2D Aerial View
Easy grip and release
spring clamp

Chair 30” long

30” wide
Table

A 20” table leaf drops down to allow a

student to easily reach forward and affix Total weight of
and detach the spring clamps to/from the extension:
other table. 8 - 10 lbs.
Rendering
1
From the Americans With
Disabilities Act (ADA) guide
for small businesses:

Table height: 28” minimum;

34” maximum

Knee clearance from floor to

the bottom of the table: 27”
minimum

30”- 48” inches of floor

should be cleared for each
seating area

There should be at least 19”

under the table for knees to
extend
 Rendering 2

Clamps
Rendering 3
Rendering 4: The table is ADA compliant. As long as the table that the extension attaches to meets the
ADA standards, the extender is compliant because it will be at the same height.
Materials: Budget:
● Lightweight wood or plastic board, ● Per extension from
roughly 30”x 30” third-party vendor:
● 2 spring clamps $175 - $300*
● 3 locking hinges to hold up the
foldable half of the desk ● Each school can
● 3 metal drop leaf supports
request their
● Drill
● Screwdriver needed number of
extensions

* In comparison, replacing just 1 desk to be

wheelchair accessible can cost $300 - $500.
…And it would be cheaper
than getting sued.
Key Takeaways:

● Seating in many U.S. schools is not very inclusive of people in

wheelchairs

● Accessibility and usability are key

● Students with disabilities being more autonomous and feeling

included within their school community directly leads to better
social, emotional, and academic outcomes
 References
ADA guide for small businesses, text version. (n.d.). http://www.ada.gov/smbustxt.htm.

Cherry, K. (2021, March 15). How does self-determination theory explain motivation? Verywell Mind.

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-determination-theory-2795387.

Lopez-Garrido, G. (2021, January 4). Self-Determination theory and motivation. Self-Determination Theory | Simply Psychology.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-determination-theory.html.

Maciver, D., Rutherford, M., Arakelyan, S., Kramer, J. M., Richmond, J., Todorova, L., Romero-Ayuso, D.,

Nakamura-Thomas, H., Ten Velden, M., Finlayson, I., O'Hare, A., & Forsyth, K. (2019). Participation of children

with disabilities in school: A realist systematic review of psychosocial and environmental factors. PloS one, 14(1),

e0210511. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210511