Why Adaptation Labs Exists

Before I ever worked in assistive technology, adaptive equipment, or complex rehab technology, I learned what adaptation really meant from my cousin Susan.

I grew up in the southern part of central Virginia, where my family spent a lot of time with my cousins. We went to the same church, played at our grandparents’ house, and vacationed together. Susan, who has cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities, is eight years older than me, but as a kid, I didn’t think about her differences. She was simply part of us. Someone who belonged everywhere we were.

I can’t pinpoint the moment I realized I was outpacing her socially or cognitively. I do remember the comments, the whispers, the judgments, and the unkind things people say when they don’t understand disability. But none of that changed how I saw her. Including her wasn’t something we worked at. It was simply what we did.

Somewhere in those early years, adapting so people could be included became instinctive.

That instinct deepened the first summer I volunteered at the day camp Susan attended, where I was assigned to a group of campers with significant physical impairments and intellectual disabilities. Many used wheelchairs. Many were nonverbal. That experience became the foundation for everything that followed.

It is the thread that carried me throughout my career, from working in a pediatric hospital, to supporting assistive technology services in school systems, to clinical education roles, to shaping education and marketing with global complex rehab technology manufacturers, and ultimately into consulting with organizations nationally and internationally.

And it is the reason Adaptation Labs exists.

Adaptation is a value Susan helped shape in me, the belief that people don’t need to change to belong. Environments, tools, systems, and communication must adapt to them.

Labs reflects how I have always worked, experimenting, iterating, problem solving, and translating complex ideas into something real and usable. Whether in a clinic, a classroom, or a product meeting, my work has always been a kind of laboratory that is human centered, curious, and grounded in real world experience.

Today, from my home base just outside Washington, DC, Adaptation Labs brings that same approach to the assistive technology, complex rehab technology, and adaptive equipment community. I partner with brands and organizations to launch effectively, reach the right audiences, and support meaningful adoption across clinical, provider, and consumer markets. My work includes global companies as well as organizations throughout the United States.

This space is where I will share the stories and insights that continue to shape that work. It felt right to start with the story that shaped me.

Keep adapting!

Angie

Angie Kiger, M.Ed., ATP/SMS