Adapted Jungle Gym

Designed & Built by Jordan

Every year a group of students from the Communicative Disorders Department visit the Gabriel House, an orphanage in Maneadero, Mexico. They provide much needed services for these children, many with disabilities. Jordan wanted to build something helpful and meaningful for these kids. He mulled over some ideas with a professor and came up with an adaptive jungle gym.

Jordan started out with a picture of the jungle gym and began crafting the real thing using wood, screws and wood dowels. He spent 5 – 6 hours a week during one semester at the AT Lab building the adapted jungle gym.

"Once I got going on the project it was simpler than I originally thought," said Jordan. "I’m pleased with the way it turned out."

The adaptive functions allow:

• Teachers to help kids climb up the ladder or cross the monkey bars
• Swings to hang from the jungle gym for smaller children
• Hammocks to hang from the jungle gym, which are very therapeutic for some of the children with disabilities

"Within five minutes of the jungle gym being set up, all the blood, sweat and tears was worth it," Jordan said after returning from Mexico.

Jordan sanding the Jungle Gym at the AT Lab

Jordan and Omar setting up the Jungle Gym at the orphanage.

Jordan and other USU COMD students helping the children cross the monkey bars.

Jordan and a child from the orphanage swinging in a hammock hanging from the Jungle Gym.s.