At Adaptive Design Association, we often begin with a simple question: What if the environment changed instead of asking the person to?

It's a question that sits at the heart of Sara Hendren's remarkable book, What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World. Rather than viewing disability as something to be fixed, Hendren invites readers to see disability as a relationship between people and the environments, objects, and systems around them. When the world is designed with only one kind of body in mind, barriers emerge. But when we design with human diversity at the center, new possibilities appear.

One of the stories Hendren shares is the creation of customized cardboard chairs, thoughtfully designed supports that enable children to participate more fully in everyday life. For us at Adaptive Design Association, that example feels especially meaningful. Alex Truesdell pioneered the use of cardboard to create individualized adaptive equipment. Her work demonstrated that a humble material could become a powerful tool for innovation, dignity, and participation when paired with creativity and close collaboration with families and therapists.

Every day, Adaptive Design Association continues that legacy by designing custom cardboard adaptations that help children and adults engage more fully in school, home, work, and community life. Whether it's a supportive seating system, a standing device, or an adapted tool for play or daily living, our work isn't about changing the individual, it's about changing the interaction between the person and the world around them.

Hendren reminds us that good design is never just about products. It's about dignity, participation, creativity, and belonging. These are values that guide every adaptation we build and every workshop we lead. Her work reinforces something we've believed for years: some of the most innovative design solutions are often the simplest, most collaborative, and created alongside the people who will use them.

If you're interested in disability, education, architecture, engineering, or simply creating a more inclusive world, What Can a Body Do? is an inspiring and thought-provoking read. To learn more about Sara Hendren, her work, and her writing, visit https://sarahendren.com.

When we ask what a body can do, we're really asking what kind of world we want to build. At Adaptive Design Association, we're proud to be building one adaptation at a time.