STEAM for all: FIRST Robotics hospital team challenges Shads to design with accessibility in mind
The pursuit of excellence is rarely without obstacles, and few understand this better than The Hammerheads, the FIRST Robotics team made up of youth from the Ron Joyce Children’s Hospital in Hamilton. But the adversity they have faced in life as youths with disabilities has made them a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the competitive robotics circuit, and last week they were able to share with the Shads the strength, knowledge, and experiences that make them truly remarkable.
“It was great to come and share the importance of accessibility in design and the elements of Universal Design (a form of design that ensures accessibility for all) with the Shads”, shared Rowan, a member of the team currently in Grade 9. “I loved being able to help the Shad group think about their projects in new ways and share what I know with them and what I’ve learned.”
The Hammerheads were invited to ShadMcMaster last week to share their expertise with the Shads and teach them how to make accessibility considerations when designing solutions to this years’ design project challenge. The team shared their own experiences solving accessibility issues during their time in FIRST Robotics, such as how they were able to modify the gaming board used in robotics competitions to accommodate their teammates using wheelchairs. “Accessibility is something we always think about on our team, and it was nice to be able to help others start to think about it too,” noted Mattis, a team member in grade 12.
The day at Shad also provided the Hammerheads a chance to explore post-secondary life by spending time on the McMaster University campus engaging in thoughtful debate with the other students about design issues and how best to problem solve for specific challenges. In the afternoon, they participated in a lecture on carbon footprints and the human impact on climate with Dr. Chad Harvey.
Daniel, a grade 11 team member from Hamilton, hopes to pursue physics or something in mechanics where he can apply the skills he’s learned in FIRST Robotics. “I’m really interested in pursuing something in construction or working as an electrician, maybe. I’m also really into aerospace engineering.”
Like Shad, FIRST Robotics focuses on helping youth learn to effectively solve problems and work as a team by leaning on each other’s strengths. It’s about providing opportunities for students to develop the important skills needed to flourish, which is especially important for youth who are already experiencing barriers.
“The other coaches and I thought that competing in FIRST Robotics would be a perfect opportunity for the kids to put into practice the technology skills they had acquired through the programs at Ron Joyce,” shared Mike Berube, a retired electrical engineer who now volunteers with the Hammerheads. “Most of all, the kids learn what it is to become a team, how to persevere through the highs and lows of the season, how to lean on each other for support. It’s about the friendships that are made through teamwork and the journey.”
The importance of teamwork and building connections while working towards a common goal is something Shad alum Jocelyn Kuntsi took away from her own time with FIRST Robotics and her summer at Shad in 2022. Both experiences played a role in guiding her towards the path she’s on now as a Schulich Leader studying Engineering Physics and Management at McMaster.
“There’s so much value in coming together and learning how you can act on an idea. One of the biggest things I got from both Shad and FIRST Robotics is that there’re so many resources out there to learn about technology, the barrier is coming up with ideas and being able to be confident enough to pursue them. I’m really grateful, because at FIRST, you build a robot, and when I was at Shad, we coded a website, which was pretty amazing. These programs gave me the opportunity to build my skills and believe that I could take risks and just try things.”
It was this commitment to using her skills to pursue big ideas that led Jocelyn and a team of fellow engineering students to develop WheelBeats, an app that helps individuals who use a wheelchair discover which venues offer accessible seating and where it’s located in the building. It helps those with mobility issues navigate new spaces and make informed decisions about where they can move safely and easily at different event venues, providing peace of mind for those who often encounter unnecessary barriers.
“In our program at McMaster, the importance of considering accessibility in engineering has really come through. When developing WheelBeats, we worked with an amazing woman who shared her experience of using a wheelchair and what sort of information would be valuable to her in navigating unknown spaces. Hearing what was important to her and what she needed was incredibly important when doing accessibility design.”
Jocelyn was thrilled to hear that the Shads were able to engage with The Hammerheads to gain insight and learn from their experiences living with disabilities to inform their design projects. “It’s such an important lesson to start thinking about different perspectives when problem solving.”
Some of the Hammerheads are looking forward to being on the other side of the table as Shads in the coming years, with Rowan sharing “I think it would be really fun to be a Shad, to be able to further explore my love of robotics and other topics. And make new friends.”
And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s really about for both the Shads and The Hammerheads: connecting with those who share their passions and who support and encourage them as friends and mentors to pursue the paths that create positive change in the world.
“I’m so grateful that I’ve had all these growth opportunities with robotics and with Shad, because when I am engaged in a design project, I try to consider the people and the community I hope it serves,” said Jocelyn. “Learning to approach things with this mindset gets us outside of ourselves and makes us all better community members.”