University High School senior builds custom mobility device for blind classmate

SPOKANE — When University High School senior Camren Breeden saw his classmate Daniel struggling with an inadequate mobility device, he decided to build a better one.

Daniel is a nonverbal student who lost his sight during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He had been using a flimsy PVC pipe walker to navigate campus. The lightweight device frequently got stuck in sidewalk cracks and could easily tip over.

“I just saw him walking around with, like a PVC pipe, kind of a walker, I guess. Pretty flimsy,” Breeden said.

Breeden felt compelled to help. “I have a blind uncle, and he uses a white cane to walk around. So why not make it easier for somebody else to be able to navigate around?” he said.

He brought his redesign idea to Eric Puryear, his construction management teacher and football and track coach, who immediately supported the project.

“I was like, yeah, find some scrap wood. Let’s throw something together!” Puryear said.

So Breeden got to work. “We came up with a design that was like step one. And then the materials of like, distributing the weight. So like, it wasn’t too heavy on the back or front and then making a design for his hands. So it was comfortable for him,” he explained.

The construction took only a couple of days. After making several adaptations, the device was ready for Daniel to use.

Heidi Downey, one of Daniel’s teachers, observed significant improvements. “He’s just made huge strides. And that walking is fantastic,” she said.

Downey praised Breeden’s collaborative approach. “He just took his own idea and made a vision and made something and then asked and then was willing to tweak it and didn’t have an ego to make changes and is open to ideas. It’s just I think it’s incredible,” she said.

The project has motivated other students to tackle similar challenges. “Kids are starting to build more things for students, for teachers, for, the school system itself,” Puryear said.

For Puryear, the project represents more than just construction skills. “We’re not just teaching them a simple skill. We’re teaching them leadership skills and the ability to look outside of their perception and see the world from other points of view.”