Adapt, Create, Celebrate: UC Students lead the way in toy innovation
Showcasing IDD Ed Center engineering pre-apprenticeship students with peers from many disciplines.
The IDD Education Center is proud to celebrate the outstanding success of this year’s Adaptation Tinker Toys Workshop, benefiting May We Help’s Tinkered Toy Box Program. Hosted by UC 1819 Innovation Hub, this event highlighted the power of cross-campus and community collaboration, bringing together an extraordinary network of partners: Kaleidoscope Innovation, Cincinnati State, The Bridge Adaptive Sports and Recreation, and the University of Cincinnati—multiple colleges, programs, and departments across campus.
Group of students adapting toys at Tinker Toy Adaptive Event. Photo: Cadi Dart, IDD Education Center, Assistant Director of Employment Services
Planned in just three months, this workshop brought together UC students from engineering, education, design, and health sciences alongside industry partners and community volunteers to transform everyday toys into customized, adaptive tools for children who need them most. For students in the IDD Education Center’s Engineering Pre-Apprenticeship pathway, this was more than a service event; it was their first real-world opportunity to demonstrate, apply, and elevate the engineering skills they’ve been building.
The Pre-Engineering students translated their learning into action: modifying switches, troubleshooting problems, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to create meaningful, accessible designs. This experience not only showcased their growing technical competency and design-thinking abilities but also affirmed their role as valued contributors in an interdisciplinary innovation space.
The original goal was to complete 200 adapted toys, but thanks to overwhelming teamwork and innovation, the event surpassed expectations by producing 246+ fully adapted toys—a record-breaking milestone for the initiative.
This event truly represents what cross-disciplinary partnership can accomplish
Cadi Dart, Assistant Director of Employment Services
"Our goal was accomplished—industry partners and UC students worked together to adapt toys for children with disabilities. Overall, a successful event, and we cannot wait until next year.” said Cadi Dart, Director of Employment Services at the IDD Education Center.
Adaptive Collaborative Team at 1819 Innovation Hub Tinker Toy Event. Photo/Cadi Dart, IDD Education Center, Assistant Director of Employment Services
The IDD Education Center extends sincere gratitude to the 1819 Innovation Hub for hosting and supporting this impactful event, and to May We Help for leading the Tinkered Toy Box Program, which provides accessible, adapted toys to children throughout the region. This year’s success would not have been possible without the collaboration of:
UC 1819 Innovation Hub
Kaleidoscope Innovation
Cincinnati State
The Bridge Adaptive Sports and Recreation: From Campus to Community
- University of Cincinnati colleges, programs, and student groups:
- EnBio Medical / Mechanical Engineering
- College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP)
- Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Physical Therapy (PT)
- Speech-Language Pathology (Speech)
- IDD Education Center – Engineering Pre-Apprenticeship Program
- CECH - Special Education (SPED)
- CECH - School of Information Technology (School of IT)
Together, these partners created a transformative, hands-on experience that not only benefits children with disabilities but also provides students and apprentices with meaningful learning in universal design, accessibility, and innovation.
With this year’s incredible momentum, the IDD Education Center looks forward to continuing this impact in next year’s workshop in November.
Read about recent media highlights from this adaptive toy collaboration:
- Santa … I know HIM! | University of Cincinnati
- WLTW - Volunteers transform toys for children with disabilities at UC's Innovation Hub
- Volunteers to adapt 200+ toys in 4 hours for children with disabilities | WVXU
- Part of UC transforms into Santa's workshop to adapt toys for children with disabilities
Featured image at top: Attendees at Adaptive Tinker Toy Event benefiting May We Help at 1819 Innovation Hub. Photo: Cadi Dart, IDD Education Center, Assistant Director of Employment Services
IDD Education Center
UC’s IDD Education Center’s mission is to create meaningful, life-changing experiences for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through innovative research, education and service. Nested in UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services and IT (CECH), the IDD Education Center provides programs for teens and adults to further their education, independence, and life skills. Program participants reach their potential and find their purpose in a community that accepts and supports them to be the best they can be. The IDD Education Center embraces the University’s strategic direction of Next Lives Here, breaking boundaries and providing opportunities for employment, social connections, and life-long learning.
We believe every individual possesses unique power, potential, and purpose.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
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December 5, 2025
UC students and IDD Education Center Pre-Apprenticeship learners joined industry and community partners at the 1819 Innovation Hub to adapt toys for children who benefit from accessible tools. Together, multidisciplinary teams exceeded expectations by creating more than 246 accessible, customized toys.