For Declan Desjarlais, gaming has been a source of connection, exploration and joy. However, due to a condition affecting his hand, certain tools can create additional barriers that impact his daily experiences.
Declan can’t grip objects with his left hand, so holding a virtual reality (VR) controller has forced him to come up with short-term solutions to enjoy his favourite games.
“Since I can’t grip anything, I just shoved my controller into my splint and hoped that it didn’t fall out,” he explains.
The setup was uncomfortable, unreliable and limited how he could interact in the virtual world.
Seeking a permanent solution, Declan turned to the Rehabilitation Centre for Children (RCC) for support.
“I went in to talk about adaptations for things that could benefit me in doing ordinary tasks or play games,” he recalls. “The main focus was the controller for my VR headset.”
After expressing his wishes, Occupational Therapist Leah Gottfried and Clinical Engineering Technologist Alex Wajnsztejn teamed up to design a reliable tool for him.
“We met with the client and family to get an idea of what the barriers were and what they saw as potential solutions,” says Leah. “We brainstormed some ideas together, and Alex came up with a 3D printed design that matched the dimensions of the controller, while providing ideal positioning for proper access.”
Leah focused on assessing Declan’s range of motion and comfort, while Alex led the mechanical design.
“I designed an external cover made from flexible materials, featuring slots that allow a piece of webbing to be threaded through,” explained Alex. “This setup ensures a secure fit with the user’s arm brace.”
The new design straps onto Declan’s wrist just below his hand, allowing him to move the controller without relying on grip strength.
“It helps me make more gestures with my left hand and arm in games,” says Declan. “It felt really nice to wear it for the first time, it was more comfortable, allowed me to have more freedom in games and it didn’t get in the way of other things like my arm brace.”
The result was a simple but powerful change thanks to the expertise and collaboration of RCC’s dedicated therapy and engineering teams.
“Even small changes to a commercial product can help increase independence, participation and confidence,” says Leah.
“I feel very comforted that people are willing to put in the work for me to be able to do things easier,” shares Declan. “Even if it is something small like a VR controller.”
Visit the RCC website to learn more about assistive technology.