Makers Making Change, a Neil Squire Program
Our Mission
The Need
According to Statistics Canada, 80% of people living with a disability use an assistive device to increase their independence, and 27% need at least one more. Cost is often cited as the main barrier.
DIY assistive technology — community created devices that can easily be made by makers and volunteers — can help bridge the gap.
The Solution
Makers Making Change is an online platform providing a disruptively low-cost alternative to commercially available assistive technologies. With a wide range of devices available in the assistive devices library, there are many options for people to request from and work with a volunteer maker who can build it for them.
Every device design, contributed by the Makers Making Change community and by our organization, is open source. Anyone can freely download the files and information to build their own device. This helps keep device cost low and requesters only cover the cost of materials.
About Neil Squire
We use technology, knowledge and passion to empower Canadians with disabilities.
The Neil Squire Society is a non-profit that has been revolutionizing the lives of Canadians with disabilities since 1984 through assistive technology. Makers Making Change is one of the many programs offered.
Our organization was established when 21-year-old Neil Squire became tetraplegic after a car crash. Seeing he was unable to speak or move his arms and legs, Neil’s family and a group of professionals in created a ground-breaking device allowing him to communicate by using sip & puff to type Morse code. The technology was rudimentary at the time but it reconnected Neil to the world, allowing him to speak with family and friends once again. After Neil passed, the Neil Squire Society was formed in his name to help improve the lives of people with disabilities.
Our work is focused on four distinct areas: Innovation, Digital Literacy, Employment, and Assistive Technology.
To learn more about our history and our ongoing programs and services, please visit the Neil Squire website.
Organization activity
Your support helped kids like Mikaela
We wanted to share with you a story of the direct impact #HackingForTheHolidays made this holiday season:
Mikaela is two years old, and has
cerebral palsy, affecting her gross motor movement, and has a global
developmental delay.
“She’s just learning to grab things and the cause and effect of
toys,” says her mother, Esther.
Thanks to your support, Mikaela received an adapted Spinning
Light Wand Toy and an Adapted My Walking Pet, along with two pink
Interact Switches. While she has played with switch toys before,
these are the first (and second) adapted toys she’s ever owned,
allowing her to play with them whenever she wants and allowing her
to work on much needed skills.
“She loves them, she thinks they’re just the best thing
ever,” says Esther. “These toys are really neat for her to
be able to learn that cause and effect, and be able to engage with
toys, where she wouldn’t really be able to.
“Some people may say it’s just a toy, but for her it’s huge.”
With the costs of commercial toys and the time it takes to get
approved for funding for such options, Esther shares that they may
not have been able to get an adapted toy for Mikaela without this donation.
“We’re very grateful as parents,” she says. “I think
it’s just really nice to hear that people are taking their time
out of their busy schedules and doing these types of things for children.”
While the holiday season may be coming to a close soon, our
goal to provide children with disabilities accessible, affordable
adapted toys continues. With your donation, we can continue this
program and serve more families into the New Year.
Over 500 toys adapted and delivered because of your support.
Hello donors and supporters, this is just a quick email to let you know that, through your support we have:
- Surpassed our fundraising goal of $25,000!
- Have provided, free of charge, over 540 toys and 800 switches!
- Have hosted over 100 events where students and volunteers have built and adapted these toys!
We are amazed and humbled by the terrific support we have received across Canada. We'll be sure to share stories of impacted families and therapists as they open their gifts, but here are a couple pictures and quotes
- “Thank you for Olivia's gift! I can't wait for her to open it and play with it Christmas morning 😊” -from Parent
- “Thank you for the toy and switch. I took a peek inside the gift bag and I think she will love them! “ from Parent
- “This is so exciting! These items will make such a difference to many families” - Jennifer Murphy, Occupational Therapist, Alberta Children’s Hospital
To all you amazing donors, I want to thank you for your time and financial support in making toys accessible for kids with disabilities this holiday season. May you and your loved ones find peace, joy and hope as we come to the end of the year.
Thank you, on behalf of Neil Squire staff, the Makers Making Change, and the families and therapists you helped us support this year.
-Chad
Aubrey doesn’t have much coordination in her arms and hands, making
it difficult to use a standard toy by herself.
Through a
donation from our Makers Making Change program to CHEO, a children’s
hospital in Ottawa, Aubrey received an adapted “My Pal Scout” toy,
with an assistive switch to go with it. She loves it.
“Her face, every time she has a switch toy, she just lights
up,” her mother Carly says. “Having this switch gives her
this really great sense of independence.”
“We go over to help her with the switch toy, and she doesn’t want
us there,” her father Derrick laughs.
While they’ve
borrowed adapted toys before, this is the first one they’ve owned.
“We’re just super grateful, and we appreciate all the time and
effort that goes into it, because we just wouldn’t be able to access
the kind of toys that Aubrey likes if this kind of organization
didn’t exist,” says Carly.
“Thank you to everyone for the donation, very generous, and when
you guys are making them, you probably don’t realize how
life-changing it is for Aubrey, but it really brightens her
day,” says Derrick.
Thank you for your donation. Please help share this campaign. A donation of $50 can purchase a toy and provide the parts to make a switch, giving a child everything they need to play with a new toy this year.
Organization campaigns
Finished February 28, 2023