Michelle enjoys painting — it’s a big part of her life. But multiple sclerosis can make it tough for her to do it by herself.

“My hands don’t have enough grip in them to hold the tubes of paint and get the lids off, so I often have to wait for help, rather than paint independently,” she shares.

So when she found out about Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change (new window) program, Michelle was delighted to find an assistive paint tube opener (new window) in the assistive devices library (new window) on the website.

She requested the device, and soon found makers to work with her.

“I was amazed to find that the people that responded to make things were right here,” she says.

The device now makes it a lot easier for Michelle to open paint tube caps through a 3D printed grip.

“The paint tube top holder is very simple and makes a massive change for me when I paint. I think it’s an excellent example of what an accessibility aid is — it doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to work,” she says.

With three dogs, another device that caught Michelle’s eye was the dog treat dispenser for a wheelchair (new window).

“I can be quite weak and not have much reach in my arms. I have started to train my younger Bernese Mountain dog to do some simple things for me. He can pick things up — particularly socks — and bring them back to me,” Michelle explains, noting they’re practicing pressing buttons to open automatic doors.

“He’s a pretty big guy, and giving him a treat, particularly while I’m out, often involves getting the one hand that’s not driving my chair slobbered on! The dispenser means I don’t have to fiddle with small treats, get my hands yucky, and Deefer thinks it’s magic!”

Michelle collaborated with the makers, adjusting the design herself to fit her wheelchair and so that it comes off the chair easily when she gets home.

“We are experimenting on just the right treat to roll well inside, so all three dogs in the house are enjoying the amount of treats that takes!”

Michelle has nothing but praise for Makers Making Change and the makers she worked with.

“What a wonderful group of people. I cannot thank enough these strangers who saw my request and made it. I’m a disability advocate, and I think that disabled people are incredibly practical and creative when they need to come up with solutions to accessibility needs,” she says.

“It’s so wonderful to look at the plethora of solutions on the Makers Making Change website, and know that they are making huge differences in disabled people’s lives.”