Adapt - a - thon

On January 19th, 2024, the Inclusive Innovators held their first Adapt-A-Thon. The event aimed to transform interactive toys to cater to the specific needs of children with disabilities. It was a success, as they fully adapted nine toys, coming together to help a community in need!

The act of adapting toys is not as simple as it may seem. It consists of small mechanical technicalities that involve breaking apart and reconstructing each toy. The Adapt-A-Thon entailed teaching this process to those with minimal electronic experience, and within a couple of hours, the 9 toys had been adapted The Adapt-A-Thon turned the organization’s aspirations into something tangible.

Emily Fortunak, a co-founder of the non-profit organization said, “This was a great opportunity for us to directly collaborate with and contribute to the community. It was surreal and a true experience of what we’re working towards every day.” For months, the Inclusive Innovators have worked to publicize their organization and find affordable ways to adapt toys by reaching out to achieve funding. Yet, it is safe to say that through this Adapt-A-Thon, they saw their manifestations turn into reality.

The past few months have been a journey of contacting council members, preparing fundraisers, creating a GoFundMe page, and searching for any opportunity to raise awareness about their cause. This helped them gain many resources to make their goals a reality and to prove that the organization’s objectives are reachable.

Noah Martinez, a student at James Logan High School and attendee of the Adapt-A-Thon said, “Being able to pitch in at the Adapt-A-Thon pushed me to feel as if I had a hand in increasing accessibility for kids with disabilities, which I know is a big roadblock right now.” 

The Adapt-A-Thon represents this organization’s determination to pursue a cause they are passionate about, and more importantly, their ability to motivate others to do the same. The difficulties of building an organization from the ground-up requires the support of many, and this Adapt-A-Thon demonstrated that that vital support.

“Organizing the Adapt-A-Thon, experiencing it, and then witnessing it to be such a success only made the organization and I want to create more widespread and impactful change,” says Vikram Dawar, co-founder of the Inclusive Innovators.

Though the Adapt-A-Thon was a great representation of how far the organization has come, it is an even bigger symbol of how far they wish to go, and they are eager for future endeavors. With the support of the community already witnessed at this event, they are sure that their ambitions can be achieved.