It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague, Milad Hajihassan, whose dedication and talent touched the lives of many within our organization.

It was just over 12 years ago that we first welcomed Milad into the Neil Squire Society team as an engineering co-op student. Over the years, he soon became an integral part of our team, dedicating his talent and passion to empowering Canadians with disabilities across many projects. Milad was remarkable in his ability to combine his technical knowledge with his lived experience of disability, creating truly ground-breaking devices that enabled and empowered people with disabilities.

Beyond his technical genius, Milad brought so much joy and humour to the team. We’ll never forget the time he dressed up as a LipSync device for Halloween and joked that it was ‘scary’ because it sometimes drifted — a playful nod to a challenge we were working on. He was patient, too, willing to teach anyone the electrical engineering principles behind his work.

Milad cherished his time here, and it was evident in the many innovative devices he developed, which are now core to Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change library. His brilliance as a systems engineer, paired with his unwavering commitment to our cause, leaves a lasting legacy that will continue to impact countless lives.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Milad’s family and loved ones.