What Does Tetra Do?

At Tetra, our focus is to find solutions to environmental barriers faced by people with disabilities. While these environmental barriers are a part of a person’s journey, we believe Tetra solutions help foster greater independence, quality of life, and inclusion.

How Tetra Works

Tetra recruits volunteers who work with clients to design and build assistive devices that are custom-made for the individual – these are devices that are either not available commercially or cost-prohibitive. As a non-profit organization, Tetra raises funds to deliver this program, including covering the costs of volunteer travel and materials for devices up to $500 per project.

The scope of Tetra projects is just as diverse as the clients we work with. The work Tetra does addresses needs in different areas of a person’s life.

Independent Living

Tetra’s core focus is to address barriers that affect a person’s ability to live life independently due to obstacles in their environment. One of Tetra’s founding principles is that people are not marginalized by their disability, but by obstacles in their environment. Tetra works to reduce or eliminate these obstacles. Over the past 30+ years, Tetra volunteers have built devices that support:

• Communication
• Eating and drinking
• Completing household chores and personal care
• Mobility

Tools for Tykes

Tetra realizes that children are the leaders and decision-makers of tomorrow, and works to ensure that children with a disability can play an active role in the future of British Columbia. Tetra volunteers build devices that help children with disabilities, as well as their families, to enhance quality of life and meet the unique needs of children and youth at home, at school, and at play, promoting more active and independent lives that encourage children and youth to begin asking themselves, “What else is possible?”

Vocational Assistance

People with disabilities have the skills and knowledge to attend school and enter the workforce but often encounter obstacles which may seem insurmountable but can be reduced or eliminated through workplace modifications or through the construction of custom assistive devices. Since 1987, Tetra volunteers have been creating devices and workplace modifications that meet this need as people pursue educational and employment goals, self-sufficiency, and contribution to their community.

Recreation

Recreational activities are an essential part of life and people with disabilities can face barriers that limit their ability to participate. Tetra volunteers are skilled at creating assistive devices that specifically promote participation in sport and leisure activities. Over the years, volunteers have designed and created devices that address an interest in in:

• Golfing
• Fishing
• Painting
• Playing a musical instrument
• Play adaptive sports like bumper soccer, sledge hockey, and boccia

Ultimately, we envision a world where people with physical disabilities feel empowered and inspired to re-imagine what’s possible. This is achieved by doing things – accessing opportunities.

Have you identified a challenge that you or a cared one wants to overcome? Contact us either through your local coordinator or directly at head office