For many children at a mytyl school, movement is not a given. For many of them, the stairs are a daily exercise, part of rehabilitation, guided by therapists and repetition. Functional and necessary, but rarely something to look forward to.
Commissioned by Rijndam, we developed the Experience Stairs to change that. Through interactive LED animations on the steps, the staircase responds to every step. A rainbow appears. Coins emerge. A little bird flutters along. The stairs become an experience instead of a task.
Following the installation of the Experience Stairs at Rijndam Rehabilitation in Rotterdam, an evaluation was conducted. The goal: to test whether the innovation achieves its intended purpose in practice. Are children more motivated to practice stair climbing? Do they experience the interactive animations as positive?
To investigate this, nine children were interviewed. Not through questionnaires or scores, but in conversation, after they had walked up and down the stairs several times with different games and experiences.
What the children said
The overall appreciation was clear. Children found the stairs with animations more enjoyable than without. When asked about their favorite experience, the rainbow and the coins were mentioned most often. The clouds were less popular, but the children immediately had ideas on how to improve them.
What stood out was how concretely the children thought. They didn’t stop at “more fun” or “less fun.” They contributed ideas. A beach on the stairs, with something that moves when you take a step. A train. Animals that react to your steps. And the best idea: a cat that walks along the handrail as you climb the stairs.
Fantastic creative ideas that are also fully feasible! These children deserve a huge compliment, as they provided ideas that we will soon put into practice, so that they and all the other children after them can practice with them and enjoy them.
Safety and motivation go hand in hand
A question asked of every child was whether it felt exciting to walk and whether they felt safe on the stairs. At a mytyl school, this question is not a minor detail. For children who are motorically vulnerable, confidence in their own body is a prerequisite for movement. Fear of falling or uncertainty about balance acts as a deterrent, even when the will is there.
The children indicated that they felt good on the stairs. The animations did not distract them from their safety; they made the step more attractive without compromising safety. That is exactly what an interactive environment in a rehabilitation context should do: increase motivation without sacrificing safety.
What this says about children and co-design
Rijndam’s research design was simple and effective. By asking children not only what they thought but also what they wanted to see, and by following up on every idea they mentioned, something emerged that goes beyond a satisfaction survey. The children became co-designers.
This is why collaborations like this have value for all parties. Several of the game ideas resulting from these conversations are being developed. Soon, children will be able to choose from even more games.
But it also has broader value for mytyl schools considering their environment. Unfortunately, children with disabilities do not always have control over what happens to them. Therapy is scheduled. Exercises are prescribed. The environment is designed by adults. A staircase that responds to your step, and where you get to choose which game is played, gives back a little bit of control.
A hallway can also be an adventure and an invitation to mobilize.
Rijndam chose to make the stairs interactive. But the same principle also works on the walls in hallways. Walls that make you curious. That invite you to move toward the next point to discover that as well.
With interactive walls and sensors that you can race past in your wheelchair or walk along, a story unfolds step by step. For children who practice walking or rolling every day, this is not a minor detail. It brings something that ‘regular’ practice doesn’t always provide: genuine fun.
For mytyl schools and healthcare coordinators
The experiences at Rijndam show that an interactive environment is well-received by the children it is intended for. Curious about what an interactive environment can mean for the children at your healthcare institution? We would be happy to brainstorm with you.