We recently welcomed our ninth GAME Checkpoint (new window), the Movement Centre of Manitoba (new window).
Based in Winnipeg, the Movement Centre specializes in conductive education rehabilitation, working with clients of all ages with neurological motor disorders to learn skills and functions that can be used in everyday life. They have been a Makers Making Change chapter for nearly five years.
“The therapy that we do is holistic,” says Movement Centre lead conductor Chris Martin, who is also a maker, having printed and built devices for both his clients and others in the Winnipeg area. “We wanted to find another way that we could serve our clients.
“[Gaming is] fun and it’s something that potentially can give them more opportunities to socialize, and then enjoy something that there were barriers of entry to. And then the other [way it helps] is it’s another fun way to work on fine and gross motor skills,” he continues. “I thought that it was really, really cool that it was something we were able to offer.”
Through the GAME Checkpoint initiative, Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change (new window) program donated two Xbox Series X, a PS5 and a Nintendo Switch, gaming equipment, games, and a variety of adapters, switches, and joysticks, including the new LipSync (new window).
Movement Centre staff also received in-depth Adaptive Gaming training from the Makers Making Change team.
In the short time since they’ve received their training, the Movement Centre has already been able to help a couple of their clients access Adaptive Gaming, quickly printing a joystick for one client, and helping a mother and son find some more modern Adaptive Gaming equipment for their Wii. “It’s been a really good response so far,” says Chris.
Being able to offer affordable DIY assistive technology from the Makers Making Change library (new window), along with the resources they’ve received as a GAME Checkpoint, the Movement Centre can help their clients access Adaptive Gaming not just at the centre itself, but in the comfort of their own homes.
“One of the core tenants of our therapy that we do is we want everything to be accessible to everyone and then to be transferable,” Chris explains. “I’m not really worried about someone being able to have a great session at the Movement Centre unless they can go home and work on that at home.
“We really don’t have any really super specialized piece of equipment that we use because that would be prohibitive. And then people wouldn’t be able to do the tasks that we do there at home. And so, it’s nice to then expand on that [with Adaptive Gaming],” he continues.
“I think a lot of our clients are going to benefit from it.”
This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.