DESIGN CONCEPT & RATIONALE
WHAT IS IT?
The DressyBars is a device designed to assist Elsa, our 8-year-old user in a wheelchair with arthrogryposis,
in putting on a shirt to increase her confidence and independence. The device consists of a pair of bars
which extend outward to hold a shirt for dressing, a clip hanging from the clip rod to hold the neck of the
shirt open, and a board with two nylon straps that wrap around a standard door and suction cups on the
back for additional stability. See Figure 10 for the entire DressyBars system mounted on a door.
Figure 10: The DressyBars on a door
HOW DOES IT WORK?
In order to prepare the DressyBars for use, an aid, in this case Elsa's mother, Mary, folds down the pair of
bars and folds up the clip rod, using the hasp to lock it in place. To place the shirt on the device, Mary places
one armhole and the body of the shirt through each of the two rod ends and attaches the clip to the back of
the shirt to hold open the neck and body of the shirt. Elsa then drives up to the bars so she is facing them,
swings her arms through the body of the shirt and armholes, and leans forward. The shirt stops placed part
way down the bars keep the shirt from sliding too far down as Elsa leans forward. Once bent forward, Elsa
finds the head hole with and pushed her head through it. With her arms and head are through the shirt, she
sits back up, sliding the shirt off the rods and detaching it from the clip, and shimmies in order to work the
body of the shirt down her torso. A series of images showing the process of using the DressyBars is shown
in Figure 11. Appendix F: Instructions for Use gives step-by-step instructions for setup and use.
Figure 11: Using the DressyBars
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