Imagin(AT)ion Station: Classroom Creativity

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/ February 19, 2026

The Ability Tools team would like to introduce you to our newest blog series, Imagin(AT)ion Station. Over a series of blogs, we will explore creative fixes for achieving some of your assistive technology (AT) goals. From labeled life hacks to Do-It-Yourself (DIY) daily living tools, we will dive into the world of DIY to empower and encourage!

A student sits smiling and drawing in a notebook. Besides text reads: “Where It’s AT – The Ability Tools Blog.” “Imagin(AT)ion Station: Classroom Creativity” “AbilityTools.org”.

Classrooms are built for groups, but learning is personal, and sometimes access begins with a little imaginATion. When materials shift, pages stick together, or writing surfaces strain wrists, students spend energy managing the environment instead of focusing on the task at hand. Here are a few classroom ImaginATions that turn everyday materials into meaningful supports.

#1 – Elevate the Surface

Writing on a flat desk can cause wrist strain, poor posture, and visual fatigue. Let’s take a look at how the great people over at Your Kids OT turn a sturdy binder into a slant board.

A red binder is transformed into a slanted writing board with a clipboard and non-slip grip in a series of six photos. Photos show the board open and closed and a child using it to write and draw. Text reads, “Homemade Slope Board, www.yourkidsot.com”

A simple three-ring binder can double as a slant board, creating an instant angled workspace without specialized equipment.

This is an economical way to make a slope board and is perfect for those wanting to try out a slope board before paying for a longer term item (like the Perspex Slope Board).

For a general overview of slant boards and positioning strategies, check out Slant Boards as Adaptive Classroom Tools from AT Tea Texas.

#2 – Stabilize to Simplify

If notebooks slide, papers drift, or materials move during cutting and writing, valuable effort is spent managing movement instead of completing the task.

Velcro strips or non-slip shelf liner can anchor materials in place, creating a steadier workspace. Binder clips are also an inexpensive and convenient anchor. Learn more stabilization tips in the classroom in this article: Low Tech Assistive Tech Classroom Examples (A Day in Our Shoes)

Several strips of yoga mat are displayed on a table. Pencils with homemade yoga mat hand grips are also displayed.

Did you know you could reuse old yoga mats? In this post by Veroniiiica With Four Eyes, they review how yoga mats can be reused as a stabilization method as well, in the most economical way!

For even more options, here are 7 Stabilizing Materials For Daily Living Aids and Items from Equip2Adapt.

#3 – Build Up the Grip

Standard pencils, markers, crayons, and paintbrushes are designed with one size in mind. For students with reduced grip strength, limited dexterity, or fatigue, that size may not work.

A hand holds a crayon wrapped in foam secured with duct tape. In the background there are several other writing tools with varying grips. A sign reads “Things that Draw!”
A hand holds a paintbrush with a custom polymorph grip. In the background there are several other writing tools with varying grips. A sign reads "Things that Draw!".

Adding foam tubing, pencil grips, yoga mats, or even molded thermoplastic build up can change how a tool feels in the hand. These adaptations increase surface area and reduce the force required to hold and control writing tools.

Sara Lucas-Dreiss NBCT @SaraLucasDreiss on Instagram, offers amazing adaptations using old yoga mats and even popsicle molds for crayon modifications!

A Day in Our Shoes offers more great examples of low-tech grip adaptations and this EIEI Services article Smart on a Budget: DIY Assistive Tech Tools, has some amazing molded grip ideas using thermoplastic materials.

Equip2Adapt has a great article “DIY Adaptive Writing Aids For Diverse Needs”, where they explore a handful of DIY adaptive writing aids for people with diverse abilities and needs!

#4 – Page Turning Made Easier

Other students may experience separating thin pages or flipping through books independently as a real day-to-day challenge. Simple additions, like small tabs, index stickers, or binder clips can act as page turners or page fluffers without needing specialized tools.

This video from basscACC, offers a variety of alternative page fluffer ideas at a low-cost:

Marty Elquist, at University of Nevada Reno’s Nevada Dual Sensory Impairment Project lists some great permanent page fluffers such as:

For even more inspiration, check out Do It Yourself Assistive Technology from Makers Making Change on “Do It Yourself Technology”

Classroom access doesn’t always require new devices or specialized products. It often begins with imaginATion, intention, and a willingness to customize the environment using what’s already on hand. Every classroom ImaginATion featured here leans into low-tech, practical approaches that respect student agency and invite participation.

Explore these and other classroom ImaginATions in person at the Ability Tools ImaginATion Station at Abilities Expo Los Angeles, March 2026

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