Reading Rainbow

Designers: Shalki Kumar and Eason Lee

Client Coordinators: Laura Walton, teacher and Edie Kahn, OTR

Supervising Professors: Kevin Caves and Richard Goldberg

 

Figure 1: The Reading Rainbow device. A pair of dark shades mask out the top and bottom portions of the page, and these shades can slide up and down to reveal different parts of the page. The height of this viewing window can be adjusted using the drawstring on the right. Also, magnetic sheets can be used to block the left and right sides of the page.

INTRODUCTION

Our client, Mit, is a nine year old boy who has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, neurofibromatosis type 1. As a result, Mit has visual impairments, as well as fine and gross motor limitations. He also has difficulty in activities that require occulomotor coordination and precision, such as pointing at words, writing, sorting fine objects and arranging things in the correct order. This results in difficulties for reading and writing activities in school, as he has trouble tracking his location on the page and often gets distracted by pictures and other information. To address these issues, his teacher and therapists block off sections of the page to highlight the part where they want him to focus his attention.

There are commercially available reading focus cards that could help Mit with reading and writing. However, their view window is fixed and thus cannot be implemented for reading variable size text. We developed the Reading Rainbow, which provides a variable size view window to help Mit focus his attention on the page during reading and writing activities. This device is easy to use, durable, and portable. The device also has a place to keep Mit’s sticker prize book and digital timer.

Figure 1: The Reading Rainbow device. A pair of dark shades mask out the top and bottom portions of the page, and these shades can slide up and down to reveal different parts of the page. The height of this viewing window can be adjusted using the drawstring on the right. Also, magnetic sheets can be used to block the left and right sides of the page.

STATEMENT OF IMPACT

The Reading Rainbow device has tremendous potential to assist the client’s learning capabilities. The device allows Laura (client’s teacher) and Edie (client’s occupational therapist) to “block off distractions on a page so that he can really focus on recognizing the words that he is working on being able to read and memorize.” The window capabilities assist Mitt with his writing by “creating a small space in which he forms letters so he doesn’t have the room to scribble all over the page.” Both Laura and Edie feel that “with continued use, [the Reading Rainbow device] is really going to help him start to be able to track things visually better and to control his writing and his use of page space will be more controlled.”

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

The device consists of a base and a frame, attached together with a hinge along the back edge. The user can lift the front edge of the frame, place the worksheet or book on the base, and close the frame over it. The user can adjust the viewing window in the vertical dimension by sliding a pair of roller shades. A drawstring adjuster allows for changes in the height of the viewing window. A digital timer and a badge book are attached to the device magnetically. The entire device is portable, and there is a carrying handle along the back edge.

The base of the device is a 14 X 14 inch plywood sheet, which acts as a platform for the book/worksheets used by the client. A metal sheet covers the top surface of the base so that it is magnetic. White magnetic sheets can be used to hold the book/worksheet in place. In addition, these magnetic sheets can be used to adjust the size of the opening in the horizontal direction as they can be dragged out or slid inside.

The oak frame rests on top of the base, and it is hinged along the back edge so that the frame can be lifted up from the front. This hinge joint is designed in such a way that when the frame is closed, there can be a height clearance of 0.5” between the frame and the base to fit a book of that thickness. The frame is lifted up from the proximal end to turn the pages of the book, which is kept on the upper surface of the base. A friction type lid support provides resistance to the hinge’s movement to avoid a sudden drop of the frame on the base.

Roller shades are incorporated in the frame to form the vertical window. The two roller shades were adapted from commercial window shades. They are connected using a string, which is held by a drawstring adjuster, like those used in jackets. In this manner, the user can adjust the window size by pulling or releasing a length of string. Once the size of the view window is set, the user can slide the opening along the page simply by moving the shades.

The roller shades are covered by a sheet metal case. A digital timer can be attached to the metallic roller housing at the time of use, and detached when not in use. Similarly, Mit’s badge/sticker prize book can be attached to the roller housing with a magnet.

A handle is attached to the back portion of the frame, above the hinge. To facilitate transport, the user can securely attach the frame to the base using a hook latching mechanism. The device can be clamped on a table, which avoids it from sliding away from the client while he’s using it.

The total cost of this device is $110.

Figure 2: Client with the Reading Rainbow device

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