Simple assistive technologies (AT) like dressing aids and adapted tool grips can help people complete their most important activities, enabling choice and participation. For many people with conditions like ALS, AT bridges the gap between disability and independence. However, off-the-shelf assistive devices often don’t meet individuals’ unique needs. “One-size-fits-all” devices are anything but. Many still require strength, range of motion, and dexterity that frustrate people living with disabilities, leading to low use rates, low satisfaction, and device abandonment. The effect is even more pronounced when the device is selected by clinicians without input from the user.

Simple techniques like 3D printing have made it possible to create customizable assistive devices for people living with ALS. Recent research suggests that people are more satisfied with customized assistive devices than off-the-shelf devices (Schwartz et al, 2020). Our own work has proven that it is possible to run a customizable AT lab in a multidisciplinary ALS clinic (Rasmussen et al, 2022).

With support from the ALS Association and the MO Better Foundation, the AT-AT Lab is testing a system that allows people with ALS and their healthcare providers to request customized assistive devices. AT-AT Lab members locate designs in places like Thingiverse and Printables or create new designs from scratch. All of our designs are released under an open source license via our Thingiverse page.