APPENDIX D:
PROJECT DEFINITION
MISSION STATEMENT:
To design an innovative, compact, portable system to assist our user, an 8-year old girl with arthrogryposis
who uses a wheelchair, in developing the skill of independently taking off and putting on a pullover shirt in
under five minutes and with minimal external assistance.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES:
• A fully-functional prototype which offers the user assistance in independent upper body selfdressing in under five minutes.
• A final report including our design concept and rationale and brief instructions describing the
use and construction of the device.
CONSTRAINTS:
• The prototype must be developed within a $100 budget.
• The prototype must be able to be transported to and from testing locations and the user’s home.
• The device must fit comfortably into her room (10 feet by 12 feet), at minimum leaving room
for the turning radius of her wheelchair (21.7 inches).
USERS & STAKEHOLDERS
Primary Users:
• Elsa, an 8-year-old girl with arthrogryposis, who will use the device daily to help develop the
skill of self-dressing.
Secondary Users:
• Mary, Elsa's mother, who will install the device, set it up daily, and help Elsa learn to use it.
• Meghan O’Donnell, our client, who will work with help Elsa learn how to use the device and
help improve her use of it over time.
• Other people with arthrogryposis who could benefit from use of the same or a similar device.
Stakeholders:
• The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, who may work with other patients who might be interested in our assisted self-dressing system.
• DTC and Segal Design Institute who sponsored this project with instruction, resources and a
grant.
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