A new Adaptive Easel!

A few weeks ago this easel arrived in my room. At my school we have a carpenter that makes adaptive equipment for all the students. His Name is Ron and he is amazing, the school is so lucky to have him.

As my students get older their wheelchairs have more difficulty fitting under the tables in the art room. I really wanted to get some type easel so my students could get right up to their work. Since traditional easels are not accessible I needed something a bit different. After meeting with Ron a couple of times he constructed this over spring break.

This easel has really made a difference in my classroom. Students of many shapes and sizes can use this easel to experience art. This works especially good for my students with a limited range of motion.

This is how "A" paints

"A" likes art on his terms. I tried to get him to use a brush but he would alway turn it around and tap the handle on the paper. So thinking quickly one day I cut up some sponge into small rectangle that fit into the wells of the liquid watercolor tray. Right away he picked them out of the tray. He dropped them onto his paper making marks. He also squeezed them releasing the paint while moving his hand over top of the paper. I have to stay out of his line of sight while he works or he will just want to play with the sponges. I'm glad I found a way for "A" to paint because he aways has the biggest smile on his face when he enters the art room.