Transition Year students from Ramsgrange Community School are paving the way for change with their innovative ramp which is designed to improve accessibility for wheelchair users.
The group, known as “Jack it Up”, first came about through the Young Social Innovators programme which is a staple of the Transition Year programme in the school every year. As part of the programme, the students in groups must come up with an initiative based on current issues and how to instil positive change in our world. The 12 students began brainstorming ideas but very quickly the students were determined that they wanted their project to centre around the issue of accessibility for wheelchair users.
This was influenced by their classmate, Jack Wickham, who has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair due to his condition and has thus experienced many issues with accessibility, in particular to buildings and spaces containing steps. Jack and his classmates experienced this issue first hand while attending a trip to New Ross Library where Jack was not able to access the building as there was no ramp at the main entrance and it required him to be lifted in his chair into the building. Speaking to Jack himself, he told of how this is not an isolated incident and a problem which he regularly faces.
In order to combat this issue, the students decided that they wanted to design a ramp which Jack and other wheelchair users could use in spaces where access is not possible. In consultation with Jack himself based on his experiences, the group determined that the ramp would need to be lightweight, portable and durable. With the help of the DCG and engineering teachers in the school and through the use of hand sketches and digital software such as Onshape, the group began sketching design ideas.
On hearing of the project, Eimear Kirwan, co-ordinator of the Wexford Student Enterprise Programme, encouraged the group to take the ramp further and create a product that could be marketed for use. She passed the group and their project on to Kent Stainless who were extremely interested in the project and were eager to come on board to produce a ramp based on the design and spec created by the group.
As Kent Stainless began working on the designs, the students conducted market research based on similar products that were on the market as well as researching necessary health and safety regulations that a ramp of that type would need to adhere to. Following on from this, the group met with members of Kent Stainless where they got a tour of the factory before seeing a protype of the ramp which Jack was given the opportunity to test. Based on the test, improvements were made and a final product was produced which has since been delivered to the school.
With their final product, the group put themselves forward for both the Student Enterprise Programme (SEP) as well as the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Programme (NFTE). The group reached the Wexford final of the SEP where they showcased their project and the ramp. The judges, impressed with the innovation, awarded “Jack It Up” an award for Innovation Excellence. As part of the award, the group will travel to Dublin for three days where they will attend an enterprise bootcamp where they will have the opportunity to develop their product further.
There was further success during the NFTE competition which took place last week where the group got through to the All Ireland Semi Final which will take place later this academic year. If the group are successful in this stage, they will be within a chance to compete in the World Enterprise Finals which will be held in Albania and would be a fantastic opportunity for the group to showcase their innovation on the international stage.
