The Shape of Care Exhibition

The Shape of Care is an exhibition featuring a selection of customizable assistive aids for individuals with diverse abilities. It prompts us to consider: What stories about care do these designs convey, if we view material objects—as Sara Hendren so eloquently writes in What Can a Body Do?—as “an index of ideas that built its many structures”?

The exhibition spans a range of adaptive tools, from customized supine standers with integrated tables designed to support children who have difficulty standing independently, to tactile aids that encourage and assist individuals with low vision or blindness in communication, play, and exploration. Each design on display at Common Things is fabricated by the Adaptive Design Association (ADA) in their workshop located in New York’s Garment District.

ADA’s design practice is critical—not only in addressing why, where, and what is designed, but also in considering how assistive aids are customized and when they are provided. For children with developmental delays or disabilities, timely intervention can significantly influence outcomes in mobility, communication, cognition, and social-emotional growth. Unfortunately, systemic barriers often result in long delays for families seeking the tools their children need. Since 2001, the not-for-profit ADA has been developing and constructing customized adaptive equipment for children and adults with disabilities.

The Shape of Care also highlights how the exquisite work of artisans, curated by Common Things, can be made more accessible to people of varying abilities. “Komal’s selections enable a culturally diverse conversation about materials and intent, complementing ADA’s dialogue about how we can all gather at the table together through socially engaged design,” says Elaine Young, ADA Board Member and Founder of STUDIOPHORIA.

For this exhibition, ADA collaborated with STUDIOPHORIA to adapt utensils made from wood and cow horn, sourced from the Common Things collection, using the Magnadapt cuff system—its vibrant blue inspired by Common Things’ design aesthetic.

Magnadapt was co-created by ADA fabricator Adam El-Sawaf and a client who loves cooking for their family while also needing to tune their wheelchair on the go. Seeking a way to use their favorite knife and ratchet, the client partnered with El-Sawaf to develop Magnadapt—a hand cuff assistive system that enables users with limited hand function to securely hold virtually any utensil or tool.

Design is never neutral. When we reframe assistive tools as lifestyle objects—through an aesthetic language of form and function—we reshape our values and the narratives we share about care, creativity, and belonging.