Makers Making Change

One of my favourite classes today! We had the Neil Squire Society visiting and adapted toys for kids with disabilities so that they can be used with adaptive switches. These toys go to the IWK Halifax and other places and then get distributed to kids with disabilities just in time for Christmas ❤️

Curious about what toys are available for our #HackingForTheHolidays campaign? Shanelle gives us a sneak peek of the Peek A Boo Koala. To request a toy in Canada, check out our Hacking For The Holidays page of our website. Requests will close November 30th, 2025.

Request: buff.ly/YEyMXcw

Gretna Green students test their switches.

A teacher and a student work on a switch.

A student works on a switch.

When students at Gretna Green School learned they would be building switches for kids with disabilities for our Hacking for the Holidays campaign, they felt inspired to take it one step further, taking the initiative to raise over $500 for our campaign.

Read more: buff.ly/zIz9nnd

An image of volunteers at a build event making switches. Text: Thank you Canada Life!

We want to give a huge shoutout to one of our major sponsors for this year’s Hacking for the Holidays campaign, Canada Life. Canada Life has donated $10,000 for Hacking for the Holidays, and have been a longtime supporter of our work at Neil Squire. Thank you!

Tyler in his office.

Our Accessible Gaming Lead Tyler Fentie was recently on the Over Coffee podcast to talk about the GAME Kit and more.

Listen: twomaverix.com?p=33408

Happy Halloween! Check out our switch adapted Dancing Wednesday doll!

As part of Hacking for the Holidays, if you are in Canada you can request your own Wednesday through our website. Or, adapt your own with instructions provided on our Github page!

www.makersmakingchange.com/hacking-for-...

Images of children with disabilities playing with adapted toys. Logos for Makers Making Change and Neil Squire. Text: 518 devices built, 1,360 participants, 48 events hosted.

We are one month into our Hacking for the Holidays campaign, and we're blown away by the impact so far.

Thank you to everyone who’s helped make this season of giving a success! Let’s keep the momentum going!

Make a difference and donate today: buff.ly/894V10U

#HackingForTheHolidays

Hamza standing in a field holding an iced coffee.

Hamza, a Kinesiology student at the University of Saskatchewan, leads volunteers as a Clubs That Care youth leader in making adapted toys for our Hacking for the Holidays campaign.

“I’ve just wrapped up my first event where my club made 30 adapted bubble machines!”

Read more: buff.ly/1jQbLZO

Hamza standing in a field holding an iced coffee.

Hamza, a Kinesiology student at the University of Saskatchewan, leads volunteers as a Clubs That Care youth leader in making adapted toys for our Hacking for the Holidays campaign.

“I’ve just wrapped up my first event where my club made 30 adapted bubble machines!”

Read more: buff.ly/1jQbLZO

Graphic showing that our Clubs That Care $3,000 micro-grant is at 50% capacity. It also notes that it is funded by Canada Service Corps.

We’re already at 50% capacity for our Clubs That Care program!

Are you between the ages of 15–30 in Canada and ready to take action in your community?

Apply for our micro-grant and make it happen. Spots are limited — apply today: buff.ly/Bv3vVdc

#YouthGrants #ClubsThatCare #CommunityBuilders

Photo of current laptop gaming setup that Mike built upon using the design from the occupational therapy students.

An amazing story from the University of Toronto Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy on students Jacob, Tenzin, Maddy, and Tali, who helped Mike, a gamer with a spinal cord injury, design a set-up to allow him to game on his own again.

Read: ot.utoronto.ca/news/student...

An image from the CTV feature showing Nicolas doing some soldering while working on a device.

CTV Saskatoon recently did a great feature on Nicolas, one of our Clubs That Care leaders, and the great work he is doing to provide assistive technology to his community.

Watch: www.ctvnews.ca/saskatoon/ar...

Left to right: Director of Makers Making Change Justin Pezzin and CPABC Director of Operations Denzil Hunt receive donated devices from “STEM Club” Clubs That Care volunteers Jenny, Alyssa, Ethan, Joaquin, and Sandra.

We're proud to support the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC’s Gamers Club initiative, bringing accessible gaming to people with cerebral palsy in BC. Accessible Gaming Lead Tyler Fentie conducted assessments for participants, while Clubs That Care volunteers donated devices.

Read: buff.ly/H9pr8u2

William, Enrique, and Justin at a Neil Squire booth with a poster for Creative Employment Options on display.

Yesterday, our team had a great time at the UBC Science Undergraduate Society Community Engagement Fair.

Pictured left to right: Case Manager William Wong, Job Developer Enrique Vazquez, and Director of @makersmakingchange.bsky.social Justin Pezzin.

#CreativeEmploymentOptions #NDEAM #NDEAM2025

Chris, Nikki, Shanelle, and Amanda at the Neil Squire booth with posters for the Creative Employment Options and Solutions programs on display.

Our Prairie Region team is at the University of Regina for the Saskatchewan Adaptive Physical Activity Symposium.

L-R: Chris Neal Langdon, Sr Case Manager; Nikki Langdon, Regional Director; Shanelle Gilman, @makersmakingchange.bsky.social Western Region Coordinator; Amanda LaRose, AT Specialist.

Burnaby office staff wearing orange shirts.

Prairie Regional Staff in Regina wearing orange shirts.

Central Regional Director Cheryl Colmer wearing an orange shirt at an event at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre.

September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a day in which we honour the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. [1/4]

Students at École Madeleine Bergeron in Adapta3D.

At École Madeleine Bergeron, a specialized school in Quebec City that serves over 120 students with disabilities from across eastern Quebec, student makers in the Adapta3D program build devices for their fellow students and staff.

Read more: buff.ly/YCI73BB

Re-posted with updated link.

Hacking for the Holidays Give the gift of play for kids with disabilities!

Thanks for the heads up, here: hackingfortheholidays2025.causevox.com

A young boy plays with bubbles from a switch adapted bubble blower, which is held by a pair of clinicians.

Make play accessible this holiday season.

We're excited to launch #HackingForTheHolidays, and we're looking to raise $200,000, donate 2,000 toys and switches to families and clinicians across Canada, and engage 2,000 volunteers.

Donate today and give the gift of play: buff.ly/II2aXkV

It's obvious a lot of thought has gone into assembling these GAME Kits, and it was a joy to get to review one as someone quite literally across the globe from their target market, which is Canada.

A huge thank you to @makersmakingchange.bsky.social, and @tjfentie.bsky.social for reaching out to me.

Thank you for reviewing the GAME Kit!

An image of a young gamer with a disability and switches and joysticks. Text: "Ordering a GAME Kit helps provide more Canadians with disabilities access to gaming."

The GAME Kit was built together with an incredible group of collaborators, from @tisseranddavid.bsky.social at @ubisoft.com, to clinicians at @set-bc.bsky.social, educators at @norquestcollege.bsky.social, and clinical game accessibility expert @kaitlyn-jones.bsky.social. [6/6]

Text: "Explore the three tiers of the GAME Kit to find the perfect fit for your organization's adaptive gaming needs. Find compatibility tables for adaptive controllers and Kit comparisons on our website."

Note: GAME Kits are available for order by persons & organizations in Canada. All proceeds from GAME Kits will support our adaptive gaming programming for Canadians with disabilities. These kits complement our volunteer-based model, & all devices remain requestable through our device library. [5/6]

Text: "New to adaptive gaming? (Or gaming in general...) Don't worry! Our guide includes everything: adaptive gaming basics, best practices, and 5 example setups for showcases."

Use the kit to host build events, create demo stations, and take a hands-on approach to learning about assistive technology. [4/6]

Text: "Who is the GAME Kit for? ESports Orgs, Community Centres, Disability Orgs, Game Industry, Researchers, or anyone who wants to have adaptive tools and resources for their community to use. Please note: GAME Kits can be ordered by orgs and persons in Canada. All proceeds support gamers with disabilities in Canada. These kits complement our volunteer-based model, and all devices remain requestable through the Assistive Device Library."

The GAME Kit is designed for:

• Universities and Researchers studying accessible tech
• Game Studios and Esports Organizations
• Libraries and Community Centers hosting workshops
• Non-Profits supporting gamers with disabilities
• Corporations seeking impactful team-building activities [3/6]

Images of joysticks and switches. Text: Introducing a new way to get accessible gaming to your community.

This versatile kit contains adaptive gaming gear and an easy-to-follow guide to help your organization set up engaging adaptive gaming showcases. Choose from three tiers to meet your specific needs. [2/6]

Images of the GAME Kit, featuring joysticks, switches, and the GAME Kit guides. Text: GAME Kit - Adaptive Gaming Essentials.

We're excited to launch the GAME Kit, a new initiative to expand accessible gaming across Canada. [1/6]

Explore the GAME Kit: buff.ly/ygYlbj5

#MakersMakingChange #GAMEKit #AccessibleGaming #AssistiveTechnology #InclusiveGaming #DisabilityInclusion #AdaptiveController #GamingForAll

Funded by Government of Canada, the Clubs That Care Micro-grants supports youth leaders ages 15-30 in making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. [2/2]

Do you love 3D printing? Here's a chance to use it for good!
Join Makers Making Change's Clubs That Care program! You can print, build & deliver assistive devices to your community while refining & perfecting your skills - layer by layer. Apply today: www.makersmakingchange.com/clubs-that-c... [1/2]