special correspondent jackie judd reports for our "breakthrough" series on innovation and invention.reporter: in the hands of alex truesdell, a simple piece of cardboard turns into a world of possibilities. her life's mission began by accident. truesdell was rooting around in a closet, at a school where she was teaching, and found a chair that had been made for a disabled adult. >> the armrest and the footrest on it were actually at different heights on the left side than the right side. and i asked about it, and they said oh that's made of cardboard. and i think my head exploded. >> reporter: why did your head explode? >> the idea that you could take that material and turn it into what you needed. that if you needed something, you could make something. truesdell has been "making something" ever since with her triple-ply cardboard, glue and simple tools. in new york city at the adaptive design association , which she founded, cardboard furniture and learning tools are built for children with disabilities to help them realize their potential. >> it makes the child, one, believe in the