As we head into 2025, it’s time to look back at 2024.
It was another incredible year for Makers Making Change (new window). In all, we delivered 4,349 devices to persons with disabilities, hosted and participated in 291 events, and engaged 9,225 volunteers — 5,768 of them youth, who learned valuable STEM skills while making a difference in their community. (You can watch our video recap on Instagram (new window)).
Here are some of the highlights of 2024:
The New LipSync
We opened this year by launching the fourth iteration of the LipSync, a complete re-design from the ground-up of the device that started it all for us, featuring new hardware and new software. The new design is easier to use, easier to build, and promotes greater user independence.
“It’s wonderful, all of the issues that I’d expressed have been fixed,” says Ean, who has been using the LipSync from day one. “You guys knocked it out of the park. It’s exactly what I’ve been dreaming of for over 10 years.”
The new LipSync kicked off a great year for our Research and Development team, which designed devices like the Open Playback Recorder (new window) and the Felting Needle Holder (new window), and updated over 50 existing designs in our Assistive Device Library. Our team also developed OpenAT Resources (new window) for designers who want to create open source assistive technology, including work on documentation helping designers create devices that can be easily replicated and improved upon by others.
40 Years of Neil Squire
2024 marked the 40th anniversary of Neil Squire. Our offices across Canada celebrated the milestone with barbecues and open houses, opening our doors to the community and sharing the work we do with pride.
In Burnaby, we hosted a Party in the Parking Lot. Guests were treated to a barbecue, live music, and of course, a tour of the office, including the Makers Making Change program office, getting a chance to trial our various assistive technologies and adaptive gaming set-ups. The RBC Foundation was on hand at the event to present a $25,000 cheque to Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change program.
At our Ottawa and Calgary offices, Makers Making Change assistive devices were proudly on display, with Calgary participants getting a chance to see our GAME Checkpoint adaptive gaming centre. Neil Squire also hosted barbecues in Regina and Fredericton.
Looking back on 40 years, it’s amazing to see how our founder Bill Cameron’s work with his cousin Neil, our namesake, and the organization he founded in his honour, continues to inspire our work today. You can see a direct line from the sip-and-puff machine that helped Neil communicate to our LipSync today. That DIY spirit continues in our Assistive Device Library, with assistive technology solutions that can be made by anyone to help people with disabilities live life to the fullest. (Bill’s daughter, Nancy Cameron joined us at our Holiday Hackathon in November, which brought things full circle).
3D Print Jobs
In the summer, we launched 3D Print Jobs (new window), a new way to volunteer with Makers Making Change.
Every build event we host in the community requires a lot of prep work, as every part needs to be 3D printed ahead of time, and it can take a while. This year, we opened the floor to dedicated volunteers near our Burnaby and Calgary offices to take on these print jobs, helping us get the supplies we need for builds. The best part is you can choose how many you take on, whether you can print five or 50 prints — any bit helps.
Adaptive Gaming Camp
Over two days from August 20th to 21st, eight youth with disabilities from British Columbia took part in our first ever Adaptive Gaming Virtual Day Camp, co-hosted by our friends at Technology for Living.
The young gamers took in a crash course on Adaptive Gaming and a presentation by Adaptive Gaming advocate Alex Carey, and learnt about the services provided by Makers Making Change and Technology for Living to help gamers with disabilities.
Each camp participant took home their own accessible gaming gear, including switches and joysticks that they could use for their own Adaptive Gaming set-up, as well as an Amazon gift card.
“Our first Adaptive Gaming Virtual Day Camp was a huge success. Everyone had a lot of fun,” says Tyler Fentie, Accessible Gaming Lead at Neil Squire’s Makers Making Change program. “It was a great opportunity to enable youth with disabilities to learn about and explore Adaptive Gaming in a supportive environment, and above all, have fun playing with their peers.”
MMC Live
In September, we began our monthly livestream, MMC Live.
On MMC Live, we share resources and projects, exciting updates in our community, and much more. Each month, the live stream will focus on updates from different part of our team — our regional coordinators, accessible gaming team, or R&D team.
You can catch all previous episodes on YouTube (new window).
Hacking for the Holidays
This year, we held our third annual Hacking for the Holidays (new window) campaign, and thanks to your support, it was once again a tremendous success.
We raised over $140,000 to give the gift of play over the holiday season, and to support our program on an ongoing basis. We were able to adapt 2,058 toys and switches for kids with disabilities in Canada. We hosted 84 events, with events in every province, and engaged over 2,600 volunteers.
“We’re truly grateful for the difference this small yet meaningful gift has made in his life,” says Jainita. Her son, who was diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay, received a switch adapted Volcano Lamp toy.
“This lamp has been an incredible addition to his routine. We’ve seen him focus on the movement of the beads, and it has truly helped him self-regulate. The colour red, which we know he likes, meets his sensory needs and provides a calming effect, especially before bedtime.”
Holiday Hackathon
As part of our Hacking for the Holidays campaign, we hosted our first annual Holiday Hackathon at the Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby, BC.
We were blown away by the support as over 230 volunteers helped us hack over 400 devices — 243 toys and 163 switches — for kids with disabilities.
We owe a huge thanks to all of the companies, families, and therapy teams who hacked together and made a difference in their community.
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone in the Makers Making Change community and all of our supporters for making 2024 such a success. Here’s to a great 2025!
This post originally appeared on the Makers Making Change (new window) website.