IATP’s Makers Program was contacted by an individual who is blind and wanted an apropriately sized white cane to teach a very young relative more about his blindness and cane travel. The available canes were designed for taller individuals and the customer need one that was approximately 12 inches in length. The Makers team quickly got to work on fabricating a cane that would meet his needs. Using a full-sized white cane as a reference, the Makers team created a scaled down version of the white cane that included all the same features as the full-sized cane; including a collapsible option. PLA was used for the primary body of the model due it its light weight which would enable younger individuals to manipulate and use it as an adult would. In addition to PLA, elastic was braided and attached to ensure the cane could collapse in the same way as his full sized cane. The customer was very satisfied with the final product and thankful that he could share interactive teaching moments with his young relative.
