Use Your Maker Skills to Help People with Disabilities

Virtually Maker Faire 2020

May 22nd-23rd

There is an untapped potential in the maker community that can positively impact the lives of people with disabilities.

Makers Making Change offers a platform for makers (engineers, hobbyists, students, corporations, etc.) to volunteer their time to make an access solution from our device library. People with disabilities, their family members, or disability professionals can request a device that they feel will help address a person’s barriers.

Makers Making Change is a program of Neil Squire, a nonprofit organization that empowers people with disabilities through technology. Makers Making Change connects volunteer makers to people with disabilities to create affordable assistive technology solutions.

We do this by engaging disability professionals (speech pathologists, occupational therapists, assistive technologists) and makers (engineers, high school and university students in design, engineering, health sciences programs) in build events and through volunteer opportunities on our website. Makers use modern fabrication technology, such as 3D modeling and 3D printing, coding micro controllers, soldering, and other design skills to create solutions from our open-source library of devices.

Our program is committed to creating an inclusive and supportive community that includes people with disabilities and gives them equal opportunity to contribute and participate.

Through volunteerism of talented makers, we are able to deliver assistive technologies for 80% lower cost than commercial alternatives and build solutions that are customized to meet the functional capacity needs of the end user, which is often impossible through traditional commercial solutions. Through this model, we have delivered over 2,000 devices across North America.

Be the change you want to see!
Join the Makers Making Change movement or start a chapter in your community!