Sarah is retired and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren in Ontario. She has Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, which limits her mobility.
“I only have function of one limb left, my right hand, and it’s really rather weak,” she explains. “The things I’m proudest of now are being a grandma and showing my grandkids how we can adapt to whatever happens.”
A participant of Neil Squire’s Digital Jumpstart program, Sarah was referred to Makers Making Change (new window) for assistive technology solutions for everyday problems. She worked with the Makers Making Change team in Ontario to figure out devices that would help her.
“We brainstormed what my needs were and what I’d like to try out. And the beauty of this is I can try things out without breaking the bank,” she says. “Living on a pension limits my ability to experiment with expensive things.”
For some of the simpler designs, she was even able to take the open-source designs from the website and have them printed at her local library, which has a 3D printer for public use.
Sarah ended up with a number of Pen Balls (new window), one of which she uses with a stylus, which allows her to press buttons at a distance like in an elevator. Another she uses with a pen to write, as it helps her grip the pen and press down. She uses an Assistive Pencil Grip (new window) with a stylus to use her electronics.
And one she’s particularly excited about is the Palm Pen Holder (new window), which she uses with colouring pencils and paintbrushes to make art.
“This opens up a whole world of creativity that I had lost,” she says. “I now have something that can help me to once again print and write. This is tremendously encouraging! I can sign my own name again.
“And [these devices] let me maintain my independence, for example, in using an elevator.”
While some of the commercial assistive technology she was shown in the past “were in a catalogue, extremely expensive, not adaptable, and really frustrating,” Sarah’s quite excited about the devices she’s made with Makers Making Change.
“I could not ask for a better experience,” she says. “The assistive devices have a nice feel and texture and attractive colors. They are well finished and do not irritate my hand. They were built in a timely way and the volunteer was respectful and patient and understanding of my needs.”
She has ideas for a couple of devices that she would like to see designed, including a device that makes it easier to lift up mugs to drink, as well as some way to adapt her binoculars for birdwatching.
“A huge, huge thank you to everybody for the warmth and friendliness that has been extended to me,” Sarah says. “And it feels so good to be understood, it feels so good to have my disability taken into consideration.”
This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.