Capstone Project Proposal Draft 

 
Name of student: Grace Fandrich   Date: 10/17/2022
 
Teacher:  Ms. Nijjar                       Block: B
 
The Capstone strand I have chosen is Project Capstone.  Project Capstone
 
Proposed title for my Project Proposal: (write the proposed title for your Capstone Project in one
clear sentence):

“Crafting a foldable foot-stool in chair for better access for people with disabilities”
 
What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion, or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that
you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.   
My inquiry question is: 

How can I design and create a chair that can be easily used by a person with dwarfism and can
act as a sturdy stool as well to be used to reach for high placed objects?
 
 
Rationale/context: Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you
are choosing to investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry
connect to your passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you? 
 
 I have a close cousin who was born with Dwarfism. Although she lives her life like normal
humans and not letting her disability come between her and success, it does affect her day-to-day
life such as climbing up a flight of stairs to reach her dorm room, or reaching for high-placed
objects, or sitting on a chair where her feet does not touch the floor. I love her for who she is, and
the disability never stopped me from becoming really close with her. I am planning to move to
her town to go to a university that she attends to, and I thought it was a great opportunity for me
to make something for her as a “thank you” gift for being the best cousin anyone could ever ask
for. I want to make a chair/stool that is easily accessible (that has a bar to rest your feet) and flips
open to a stepping stool.
 
 
 
Background: What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area
of inquiry? 
 
 I have taken two years of woodwork classes up until now and have a pretty good understanding
of tools and machines I will be using to create this project as well as making the design come to
life, knowing how to efficiently use a piece of wood. I will have access to the school’s
woodwork shop, which will be a big help.
 
 
 
Career connections: What is your intended career area now? What connections does this
inquiry question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals? 
 
I am thinking of going into the psychology field, and probably become a trauma counsellor or
teen counsellor. I was helped by so many people during my high school when I needed help, and
so many people helped me crawl up the steep slope when they didn’t really have to. I want to
give back to those who helped me by becoming someone that could help people when I am an
adult.
By creating this project, I am (hopefully) helping someone who I care very deeply in my life. I
know the struggles that my cousin faces every day, and since she has done so much for me in my
life, I would love to give back. She loves woodwork projects like me, so I am hoping she would
like the design that I have created as well.

 
Interdisciplinary and core competencies connections: What subject areas and core
competencies will relate to your project? Outline and explain the connections. 

The core competencies that I will be using for this project is my creative thinking, and
communication. Since I am creating this project from scratch, I will need to gather up all my
creativity to come up with a design for the chair and the foot stool. While trying not to bite more
than I can chew, I need to come up with a design that has a high comfort level. With my cousin’s
dwarfism, comfort as well as accessibility is a huge component that needs to go in for every
design. I need to use my communication skills to communicate with my aunt to see what size the
chair must be and how high the footstool must be off the ground. Since they live all the way in
Indiana, communication over phones is necessary.
 
 
 
 
Capstone Presentation medium: select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present
your project. Outline and give details about how you will present your project once completed.
You may use a combination of mediums.  
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT 
o Physical portfolio 
o Website 
o iMovie presentation 
o YouTube channel 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Description of my Capstone project. Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will
you research, create, study, produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the
end of this project for evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal. 
 
 I will be creating a chair with a pullout foot stool. (This might change to me making a pullout
footstool that is compatible for a chair that already exists. If I do so, I will be making a storage
area in the stool for some creativity and to push my skills). Since I have not made a slide out
mechanic, or a chair before, I will be doing some research on the best wood type to use and good
designs to make a lasting chair that is both comfortable and easily accessible for people with
disabilities.
 For now, I am thinking of using beech wood, since that is the most accessible (the school’s
woodwork shop has some available for me to use, and it is a hardwood, which is a great option
for making sturdy furniture) but I would love to use cherry in some parts if possible since that is
my cousin’s favourite wood type. I will be buying with my father’s help of any wood or metal
parts that I will be using that the school cannot provide, such as the cabinet drawer slides and
hinges if needed. It will be nice to add some engravings to add personality to the chair or
footstool. I will not be painting the project but will be using a stain to create a dark finish with
waterproofness to make the chair last longer even when exposed to water.
I will be talking with my mentor soon to see what my realistic goal will be. I have very limited
time to work on this project, which might it impossible for me to create a chair, but since I don’t
fully grasp how long it’ll take, it is hard to estimate if it is a doable goal for me to create a chair
in the limited time I have. Even if I only do create the footstool, I want to make the most of it and
use my creativity skills to push my woodworking skills as well as my designing skills.
I will be communicating with my aunt continuously throughout the semester to hear her ideas on
the best design for the chair, or the measurements for the footstool if I were to use an already
existing chair. I will also be talking with my cousin (under the radar hopefully so it’ll be a
surprise to her) to see what she would like as a design. She is also passionate about woodworking
and carving like me, so I think she would appreciate if I did some engravings on the project.

 
 
 
Resources/ Technology/Skills: Assess the resources, technology, and skills you will need to be
able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to access/learn all the resources
necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail your plans.  
 
 Since I am creating a woodwork project, naturally, I would be needing some wood. My mentor
has kindly offered that I could use some of the wood that is in the woodwork shop to lift the cost
of buying a bunch of wood, which is costly. I also have access to the machines that I would be
needing for the project through the school workshop. I believe I have enough skill set to work on
this project, but if I do bump into trouble, I am planning on asking my mentor as well as my aunt
for some advice to make it as comfortably useable for my cousin.
 
 
 
Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will you
need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you? What is
your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this project? 
 
 I have already talked to the woodwork teacher at mountain, Ms. Dahl, and she has agreed to be
my mentor for this project. She is willing to find time around my study block so that I could use
the shop to work on my project.
 
 
 
 
Project limitations:  What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee
that might affect progress with your Capstone Project? 
 
 Buying materials for this project will be a struggle since wood nowadays are very expensive.
Finding enough time to work on this project will also be a struggle since I have other schoolwork
to be done, and the shop is only available during school hours.
 
 
 
 
Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about your
project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.  
 
 Since my cousin has a chair that is comfortable already, I might only construct the pullout
footstool part of the project with some fun modification.
 
 
References: Provide a literature review of 5-10 PEER REVIEWED ACADEMIC references:
research, videos, etc. that offer some preliminary research you have done for your project that
shows you are able to access the key information that you will need to be able to complete this
project/work. Your list should be written using correct APA formatting.   
 
 Research bibliography

 woodworkingtrade. (2020, June 17). Best Types of Wood for Furniture.

Woodworking Trade. https://www.woodworkingtrade.com/best-wood-for-furniture/

(notes)

Beech: Sturdy, heavy, possible to give high polish, warm ambiance (easily accessible as well

since woodwork shop at school has it)

Maple: durable, dense, has resistance to moisture (can be stored outside), attractive pattern
Walnut: dark toned, has strength and durability. Expensive.

Oak: attractive grain patterns, heavy, robust, wears well. Usually expensive but can find cheap

ones

Pine: cheep, looks good on finishing. Not as durable as the other types of wood

Mahogany: expensive, variety of different shades

Cherry: (Esther’s favourite wood), darkens with age, most sough-after wood in America

 Bourbon Moth Woodworking. (2022, April 30). What’s the Best Wood Joint ||

Insanely Strong Joinery! www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=CE147Ow7RmM

(notes)

Strongest joint in the experiment was miter with splines (2nd being the box joint and 3rd being the

miter joint)

 Woods, L. (2021, August 15). How To Make a Wooden Chair Comfortable |

(Complete) Guide. Axial Chairs. https://axialchairs.com/make-a-wooden-chair-

comfortable

(notes)

Add seat cushion to make it more comfortable.

By having a comfortable chair, it will enhance posture and reduce back pains, as well as improve

productivity and boosts comfort.

Amazing Woodworking Projects Furniture [YouTube Video]. In YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22EQTGOOElg

(notes)

Ideas for how to create a chair

 Whitley, R. (2021, September 20). The Best Wood for Chairs. FineWoodworking.

https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/chairs-benches-and-stools/tips-

on-choosing-the-right-wood-for-making-chairs-from-walnut-to-oak-and-more-with-

design-tips-for-making-strong-attractive-chairs

(notes)

Wood choice is crucial for making sturdy chairs. Hard maple is used for legs as well as stretchers

(occasionally white oak or hickory for the stretcher) because it is hard, resist impression, and

does not splinter. It also has resistance to abrasion, which is needed for the legs for a chair. The

seat was usually “scooped out” to make it more comfortable to sit in, which required it to be 2-

inches thick. Soft wood was usually used for this (pine or poplar)