Blending Accessibility & Fun

EASTatWestwoodElementarySchoolinSpringdalecelebratedits10thanniversarythisyear andcappedoffcelebrationsbywalkingawaywiththeCornerstoneAward forProjectSophisticationandInnovation.

It seems that EAST students at Westwood Elementary have found their passion: working with people who are disabled to make their lives easier. Students continued their work in this field with the “Wee Little Wheels” project, where they created custom wheelchairs for disabled toddlers.

“Children with disabilities cannot qualify for a wheelchair until they are three years old,” said fifth-grader Sifa Alulu. “We created a wheelchair with easy-to-find items to solve this problem.”

Thanks to a custom wheelchair built by EAST students, one toddler can now play with his older sister without his mother’s help.

“I don’t know who likes the chair more,” the child’s mother said in an Instagram post. “[His sister] is so happy that her brother can play her now – without mom’s help! I’m obsessed.”

Kelly Yates, an occupational therapist for the Children’s Therapy Team, has been a Community Partner with EAST at Westwood Elementary School for several projects and has loved her experiences working with the students.

“I’ve never had anything but a great experience with EAST,” Yates said. “I’m always blown away by the creativity that [EAST students] have in order to make things accessible to everyone. I just feel blessed to be a partner.”

While the program features several projects working with children with physical disabilities, other students worked with a student and his brother Juan, who struggles in social situations due to autism.

“We learned that fidget toys help Juan to calm down when he’s around others and his brother asked if we could 3D design toys modeled after his favorite character, Sonic the Hedgehog,” said fifth-grader Erianne Martinez.

“Using TinkerCAD, we found the design we want to use and are now trying out different fidget parts for the toy’s arms and legs. We’re excited to give Juan a toy that will, no doubt, be his favorite,” said fifth-grader Scarleth Mejai.

Students are constantly working on projects that change the lives of their clients, but another trio within the program is utilizing ArcGIS to create a light-hearted, spooky, experience through Arkansas that everyone can enjoy.

“We created a story map that displays different haunted places in Arkansas,” said fifth-grader Kalie Rodriguez. “The GIS feature allows us to map out a guided two-day road trip throughout the most popular haunted places around the state.”

Westwood Elementary Students

ATTENDING EASTCON23 INCLUDED:

Gabriella Carranza

Emily Murphy

Heather Corona

Coty Jones

Izabella Zangari

Sifa Alulu

Caleb Plante

Kaylie Rodriguez

Division of Elementary & Secondary Education