Staff across all Neil Squire departments work together to provide personalized, practical support to all of our participants. We use feedback loops to ensure continuity for each individual’s journey toward enhanced independence.

Our Makers Making Change (new window) team often works in collaboration with our other programs, complimenting their skill in design and innovation with the expertise of our many highly-trained specialists.

Makers Making Change frequently serves as an in-house vendor for our Solutions (new window) program, providing devices from the assistive technology library — from high-tech solutions including joysticks that control computers and smartphones like the LipSync, to more simple solutions like a Pen Ball — as prescribed by our occupational therapists to assist people with the disabilities in the workplace. Devices are often also used to support participants in our digital literacy programs like Distance Computer Comfort.

Makers Making Change also works with Solutions on custom solutions. One recent example involves developing a way for a client to activate a switch with their foot. Makers Making Change worked with the Solutions team to ensure the set-up and measurement were all done to the client’s needs.

“I think it’s always an important part of why I really like partnering with the Solutions team. They are trained to do that initial intake and assessment and proper ergonomics. And then we work together from the technical side to help support the needs that have been assessed,” says Justin Pezzin, Director of Makers Making Change. “And that’s the thing where I think the partnership really is something more than either one on their own, I think together we actually have something really special.”

All of these assistive technology solutions make a big difference in employment for people with disabilities.

“Accounting is a great example. Say I have to click in five places to do this. We can create a switch and they then apply the software, which again Jody on the Solutions team really is great with the software side of things. We’re really good on the hardware side of things. That makes a really good solution for a client. Instead of buying a commercial switch for $100, when you can do a $10 or $30 switch that’s been made by our 3D printer. It’s a much more effective use of that funding as well, so the client can potentially do more with the funding than they could before.”

Makers Making Change has also been working with our Hearing Solutions (new window) audiologists on a button-activated device making it easier to do hearing testing with young kids.

“I think that’s another neat area inside the Neil Squire umbrella with so many teams who are actively out in the community with users and community members who have needs, and then being able to utilize the skills of the Makers Making Change team to create those devices or even prototypes of potential products that could go further down the road. It’s kind of a neat match and that’s kind of a unique value I would say that Makers Making Change offers to a broad scope of programs.”

This article originally appeared in our 2024-2025 Annual Report.