(Courtesy of ADI) In its fifth year, ADI’s “Make the Change Challenge” STEM accessible design contest drew more than 312 exceptional and empowering entries from students across North America, but Massachusetts natives Charlie Sobelman and Alice Dunn claimed the contest’s $1,000 grand prize by designing a fun and functional patch that addresses the physical and emotional needs of pediatric patients with Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). As envisioned, “The Confidence Patch” would simultaneously secure gastronomy feeding tubes to prevent leakage while also adding a touch of personal style to boost the confidence of those who feel insecure about their condition.
Run by ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s network of specialized rehabilitative care for those touched by and living with disability, to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (#JDAIM), the contest promoted “selfless STEM” and encouraged students to hack the modern world to help people with disabilities overcome the challenges that hinder their independence and inclusion.
When developing their design, Sobelman and Dunn, both sixth grade students at the Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead, Massachusetts, imagined a flexible, stylish and incredibly affordable product made out of SecondSkin, a medical-grade, transparent adhesive barrier that is latex-free, waterproof, breathable, hypoallergenic and could last for up to five days. Like the adhesive bandages on the market for children, Sobelman and Dunn designed several colorful patterns that make the patches pop.
“We were watching a documentary about people with dysphagia and realized that some people can’t swallow at all and need a feeding tube. So, we came up with a way to help kids with feeding tubes who might be feeling bad about how they look,” explained Dunn and Sobelman. “We believe that these decorative patches will help them feel cool and comfortable with their disability and take the pressure off in social situations.”
Instead of developing prototypes, contest entrants were asked to prepare compelling presentations that clearly explained how their original solutions would solve the persistent accessibility issues they chose to tackle. The dynamic duo of Sobelman and Dunn went above and beyond, preparing an impressive PowerPoint presentation and a low-tech mockup of the patches.
“We are so proud of Alice and Charlie for this truly impressive achievement, and we are grateful to ADI for allowing so many children to take part in the ‘ADI Bechinuch’ (literally ‘ADI in Education’) disability inclusion programming and this STEM Accessible Design Contest. It is truly a model for the world,” said Amy Gold, Epstein Hillel’s head of school. “The future is so much brighter when our young leaders are thinking about how to be more inclusive and care about people who have more challenges in society. If all kids could be thinking this way as they grow up, it would make for a much better, more caring world in the future.”
Echoing this sentiment, ADI’s North American Director of Advancement Elie Klein highlighted the impact of the youth-led disability inclusion movement inspired by ADI Bechinuch.
“Every year, students from our partner schools across North America transform into true agents of change. In just a few months, they gain tremendous perspective and act on this new empathic worldview,” said Klein. “Alice’s and Charlie’s beautiful, impact-driven design is yet another example of what’s possible when we encourage our young Jewish leaders to tackle significant social issues like disability access and inclusion, and support their efforts to change the status quo. This is what ADI Bechinuch is all about.”
Nearly 50 Jewish schools across North America, including many affiliated with JNF-USA, utilized the ADI Bechinuch programming this year, employing the in-class activities and disability simulations, virtual tours and STEM contests to encourage the next generation of Jewish leaders to see the world through the eyes of others.
As February came to a close, ADI’s panel of experts, including members of ADI’s professional staff, international rehabilitation specialists, innovation journalists and specialists in the field of accessible design, met with the contest’s top five finalists and their parents and teachers via Zoom to discuss the entries in greater detail. Following an uplifting discussion, the proceedings concluded with Dunn and Sobelman being crowned the contest winners and were presented with the $1,000 grand prize, a gift from the Avraham and Esther Klein Young Entrepreneurs Fund.
The “Final 5” also included entries from students at Vancouver Talmud Torah in Vancouver, British Columbia; the Ramaz School in New York; Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles; and Kellman Brown Academy in Voorhees Township, New Jersey.
By reimagining rehabilitation, ADI is advancing ability for all, empowering children, adolescents and adults with severe disabilities and pioneering cutting-edge therapeutic and recovery services for anyone touched by disability. ADI provides its residents and special education students with the individualized growth plans and specialized services they need to grow and thrive, its rehabilitation patients with the treatments and therapies they need to heal and return to their lives, and the community at large with tangible opportunities for encountering disability, raising awareness and promoting acceptance.
To learn more about ADI and to donate, please visit adi-israel.org.
