Community Conversation: BC Accessibility Legislation
2019-11-14 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Vancouver) | Parkinson Recreation Centre, 1800 Parkinson Way, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 4P9, Canada
The Government of British Columbia has announced that BC accessibility legislation will be introduced in 2020. Shane Simpson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction would like your feedback in preparation for the development of new laws, standards and policies.
In collaboration with Okanagan Regional Library and Spinal Cord Injury BC, Neil Squire Society is pleased to host a Community Conversation in Kelowna.
The event will be held in the Spartan room at Parkinson Recreation Centre on Thursday, November 14 at 4 PM.
Guest speakers will present on topics such as housing, healthcare, education, employment, public transit and technology.
This free event is open to the public and snacks will be provided.
There are more than 926,000 British Columbians over the age of 15 with some form of disability. This represents nearly 25% of the population. As the population
ages, the number of people with disabilities and the severity of their disabilities are likely to increase.
The B.C. Government is committed to developing new laws, standards, and policies to better support people with disabilities to live with dignity and to
meaningfully participate in their communities. Accessibility legislation would empower government, persons with disabilities, and the broader community
to work together to identify, remove, and prevent barriers.
For more information, please visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/accessibility/
Funding provided by the ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction through the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia.

Neil Squire Moncton Open House
2019-11-14 16:00 - 19:00 (America/Moncton) | Neil Squire Society, Moncton, 403 – 236 St. George Street, Moncton, NB, E1C 1W1, Canada
Enjoy wine & cheese while learning about the story of Neil Squire and the work we do to empower Canadians with disabilities.

UP Skills for Work
2019-11-18 | Footprints to Technology Centre, 190 Footprints Court, Penticton, BC, V2A 0E1, Canada
Do you have all the skills for the job?
Be confident and job ready with the key skills employers want.
Mondays in November and December.
For more information, please call the Footprints to Technology Centre: 250-492-5289.

Buildathon: Adaptive Switches and 3D printing
2019-11-18 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | St. Mary’s University, MM 305, 923 Robie St., Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada
Join us November 18th from 10-1pm at MM305 in the McNally Building to build adaptive switches! The switches, or buttons, are used by people with disabilities to have input controls more easily reached and can be plugged into any adaptive device.
Novice builders are welcome and you can learn about soldering while creating a device to help someone in need. We will also be demonstrating 3D printing, its use for assistive devices and the Xbox Adaptive controller!
This is a great event for anyone interested in technology, community or just looking to try something new!

Open House Footprints Centre
2019-11-18 12:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | Footprints to Technology Centre, 190 Footprints Court, Penticton, BC, V2A 0E1, Canada
Come celebrate Indigenous Disability Awareness Month
Make dream catchers with Vanessa. Lunch will be provided. Draw Prizes!
Please RSVP

Tech for Good™ Accessibility Workshops & One-On-One Consultations
2019-11-20 10:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | TELUS Garden Vancouver, 510 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 0M3, Canada
Join Neil Squire for a free accessibility workshop or a one-on-one consultation to learn about the accessibility features of mobile phones. Designed for people with disabilities, these workshops and consultations are part of TELUS’ Assistive Tech for Good™ program.
You may choose from the following:
Samsung:

Offered at 10am, this half hour workshop will cover mobility and accessibility features of Samsung mobile phones.

iPhone:

Offered at 11am, this half hour workshop will cover iPhone accessibility features for low vision.

One-On-One Consultation:

Offered at 4 time-slots from 1pm to 4pm, these 45 minute one-on-one consultations will help you learn more about the accessibility features available on your mobile phone. These sessions are tailored to you and your specific needs. These session are also well suited for people who are looking for additional accessibility help when purchasing a phone.

For more information about Assistive Tech For Good, please visit: www.telus.com/assistivetech

Surrey Small Business Information Expo
2019-11-21 09:30 - 13:00 (America/Vancouver) | Surrey City Hall, 13450-104 Avenue, Surrey, BC, V3T 1V8, Canada
Your business. Your move.
The 2019 Surrey Small Business Information Expo (SBIE) is here to help you.
They’ll have four hours of the things you need to know before you make your next move. All businesses are welcome – from pre-startup to established business looking to grow, whether you are a local Surrey business or looking to go global. They will be talking financing, labour market, government support programs, and doing business with the city, with the province and feds, and even overseas.
With over 20 organizations on hand to help, you will find something at the 2019 SBIE to help your business grow.
Neil Squire will be an exhibitor at the event.

Switch Build Event @ the Agility Innovation Centre @University of Lethbridge
2019-11-21 18:00 - 20:30 (America/Vancouver) | Agility Innovation Zone, 4401 University Drive West, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
Makers Making Change has started a chapter in Lethbridge Alberta
Join chapter leaders Amanda Wootdke and Kevin Roelofs for a fun access switch build event at the Agility Innovation Zone
Join us Nov 21 2019 from 6-8:30pm and learn how to help a person with a disability with your maker skills.

Participants in this event will learn how to build the Light Touch Switch, one of the designs featured in Makers Making Change’s assistive technology project library. All project are open source and free to download.
No experience necessary.
Come be a part of making change in your community!
Free Tickets available here

Penticton Indian Band's 2019 Journey to Success Career Fair
2019-11-22 09:00 - 13:30 (America/Vancouver) | Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, 273 Power Street, Penticton, British Columbia, V2A 7K9, Canada
Guest Gabrielle Scrimshaw.
Open to ALL aboriginal students and adults! There will be numerous booths set up from colleges and universities, local businesses, and potential employers.
Lunch will be provided and door prizes to be won.
Contact Kendra Eneas for more information: 250-770-3210.

Winter Wonderland Princess Ball
2019-11-23 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Regina) | DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Conference Centre Regina, 1975 Broad Street, Regina, SK, S4P 1Y2, Canada
We’re throwing our first Winter Wonderland Princess Ball and we couldn’t be more excited! Join us for a magical gathering of your favourite Disney Princes and Princesses and support people with disabilities in Regina.
This family friendly event is sure to be a hit with all ages!
Your ticket includes:

Storytime with the Princesses
Princess performances
Music and dancing
Served lunch consisting of chicken fingers, ceasar salad, fries, veggies and dip, fresh fruit, and fancy desserts. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions you may have and we will be happy to accommodate.
Many more surprises!

Other activities (for minimal additional costs) will include:

Hair and make-up session
Raffles
50/50 draw

All proceeds will go directly to the Neil Squire Society’s Prairie Regional Office to support Canadians with disabilities in your community.
For media requests, volunteer inquiries and general event information, contact Prairie Regional Manager, Nikki Langdon at nikkil@neilsquire.ca or 306.781.6023.
Please visit Eventbrite to purchase tickets (new window).

NBCDA 2019 Conference
2019-11-26 - 2019-11-28 | Delta Hotels by Marriott Fredericton, 225 Woodstock Rd, Fredericton, NB, E3B 2H8, Canada
We will be at the New Brunswick Career Development Association 2019 Conference. This provincial conference is the only one of its kind in New Brunswick. Devoted to providing career development practitioners with the following:

New information about products, programs and services
Practical tools and resources
Innovative solutions
Networking opportunities

eAccessibility course with David Berman
2019-11-26 12:30 - 13:30 (America/Vancouver)
About the Course
David Berman will convince you why universal design helps everybody; to comply with new laws (including the refreshed Section 508, the upcoming Accessible Canada Act, and the next deadlines for AODA), to broaden your audience, to drive down costs, and to fulfill our social responsibility and inclusion commitments. He will provide in-depth familiarity with W3C WCAG success criteria (including the new WCAG 2.1), as well as ADA, Section 508, and AODA requirements.

Knowing how to follow the guidelines will result in your documents and webpages being more effective resources for your entire audience… including your most frequent visitor: Google. You’ll also gain familiarity with the assistive technologies that help people with specific disabilities and difficulties.
Not only will you leave with ideas you can use right away, you may also gain a whole new attitude towards how technology can improve lives. By the end of the event you will not only be aware of why accessibility and standards affect everyone: you’ll be equipped with an understanding of what you need to do, and how to do it best.
Our courses and learning guides combine to contain everything you need to know in order to pass the IAAP CPACC and WAS certification examinations.

Powered to Game: EA
2019-11-27 13:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | EA, 4330 Sanderson Way, Burnaby, BC, V5G 4X1, Canada
Hosted at Electronic Arts Vancouver main campus in Burnaby, this accessible gaming event will welcome gamers with disabilities to come and play in a friendly tournament with other gamers with disabilities. They will have the opportunity to trial a number of games and a variety of assistive technologies to make gaming more accessible.
Leading up to the event, people with disabilities can come to Neil Squire Society on Fridays to try out different assistive technologies to prepare for the event.
Games on the menu:
• Need for Speed
• NHL 2020
• FIFA 2020
• Plants vs. Zombies
There will be prizes for all participants at the event!

MMC Presentation at BC Ataxia Society AGM
2019-11-30 | BC Ataxia Society

International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2019-12-03
“On this International Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to work together for a better world that is inclusive, equitable and sustainable for everyone, where the rights of people with disabilities are fully realized.” — António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

Region of Peel International Day of Persons with Disabilities Event
2019-12-03 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | Embassy Grand Convention Center, 8800 The Gore Rd, Brampton, ON, L6P 0B1, Canada
The Region of Peel will be hosting an International Day of Persons with Disabilities event on December 3rd at the Embassy Grand in Brampton, Ontario.
The event will run from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The exhibits will be showcased between 9 – 10 a.m. and 12:30 – 2 p.m.

UN Day for Persons with Disabilities LipSync Buildathon
2019-12-03 09:00 - 16:00 (America/Halifax) | Delta Hotels by Marriott Fredericton, 225 Woodstock Rd, Fredericton, NB, E3B 2H8, Canada
Please join us on December 3rd in Fredericton, New Brunswick for International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Register to take part in the LipSync Build, or register to attend the Guest Speakers segment from 10 – 11 am.
The LipSync enables a person that has no use of their hands to use a touchscreen device, laptop or computer — it is a mouth operated joystick that allows a person to control an onscreen cursor with minimal head and neck movement. A “LipSync Buildathon” is an event that trains makers to build a LipSync. Makers will be supplied with the tools, components, parts and instructions, and will work together to assemble a LipSync.
Register Today!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/un-day-for-persons-with-disabilities-lipsync-buildathon-tickets-69945487837
___________________________
Venez vous joindre à nous le 3 décembre à Fredericton, N.-B. pour la Journée internationale des personnes ayant un handicap
Inscrivez-vous pour participer au Marathon d’innovation LipSync, ou pour voir les Conférenciers Invités de 10:00 – 11:00 hres.
Le LipSync permet à une personne qui ne peut utiliser ses mains de faire appel à un appareil à écran tactile, ou encore un ordinateur portatif ou de bureau – il s’agit d’un manche à balai actionné par la bouche qui vous permet de commander un curseur à l’écran avec des mouvements minimes de la tête et du cou. Un marathon d’innovation LipSync est un événement qui forme les innovateurs à prototyper à partir d’une technologie d’assistance libre LipSync
Les innovateurs recevront les outils, les composantes, les pièces et les instructions. Ils travailleront ensemble pour assembler des LipSyncs.
Inscrivez-vous aujourd’hui!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/un-day-for-persons-with-disabilities-lipsync-buildathon-tickets-69945487837

Abilities Event: International Day of Persons with Disabilities
2019-12-03 16:00 - 18:30 (America/Vancouver) | TELUS Garden Vancouver, 510 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 0M3, Canada
Our Tech for Good staff will be presenting at the Abilities Event: International Day of Persons with Disabilities at TELUS Garden for The Abilities Resource Group, one of 5 employee resource groups at TELUS.

Hacking for the Holidays: Making Toys Accessible for Kids with Disabilities
2019-12-05 | SAP, 910 Mainland Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1A9, Canada
Makers Making Change is partnering with SAP’s Vancouver office to host a switch build and toy hacking event for children at the Sunny Hill hospital. SAP staff will work together to assemble some of our access switches and re-configure store bought children’s toys so that they can be connected with the switches. The objective is to give children with disabilities a chance to play with toys and learn about cause-and-effect.
For more information about this event or to learn more about how to organize a similar event for your organization, please contact info@makersmakingchange.com

International Volunteer Day
2019-12-05
International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.
Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development by advocating for the recognition of volunteers and working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming.

Valley Makers Access Switch Build w/NW Works
2019-12-06 | Valley Makers Makerspace
About this Event

Valley Makers Makerspace is hosting an access switch build in partnership with NW works at the Fire Fly Cafe!
What is an access switch?
An access switch is a switch that allow a person with limited mobility in their hands to access devices like tablets, smartphones, computers, toys and other electronics. They come in all varieties depending on the capabilities of the individual.
Why are we building an access switch?
Access switches can be very costly devices. A typical commercial switch costs about $75, which can be unaffordable to many people who do not have adequate insurance or for those who are low income. Makers Making Change has a library of open source assistive devices(switches being just one device) that are more affordable through open source designs and volunteer makers like you! The switches we will assemble at the event can be made for approx $5 in parts and will be distributed to people and organizations in the community who need them.
Where are the switches going after the event?
Switches will go to NW Works as well as Valley Health.
How Do I Get Involved?
Register Here for the event
and
Sign up to volunteer your skills to make a project for a person with a disability at www.makersmakingchange.com

Regina Toy Hack and Switch Build
2019-12-06 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | SaskPower, 2025 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK, S4P 0S1, Canada
Makers Making Change will be running a toy hack hosted by SaskPower. In addition to hacking toys, attendees will be making access switches from the Makers Making Change library. This event is expected to run on Dec 6th from 12pm-4pm.

Bellingham Makerspace Holiday Toy Hack @Invent Coworking
2019-12-07 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | Invent Coworking, 114 Magnolia St Suite 505, Bellingham, WA, United States
Holiday Toy Hack Fundraiser
114 Magnolia St Suite 505
Bellingham Washington
Learn to Adapt a toy and build a switch so a child with a disability can enjoy it this Christmas! Participants will learn how to re-route electricity to a headphone jack to allow an access switch to be plugged in. Bellingham Makerspace is hosting this event to raise funds for their relocation. Register by donation:
By Donation(all donations will be matched)
Suggested Donation $20
Register Here

Holiday Open House: Saint John
2019-12-12 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Halifax) | Neil Squire, Saint John, 660 Rothesay Avenue, Saint John, NB, E2H 1Z4, Canada
Please join us at our new Saint John location for snacks and refreshments to celebrate the holiday season! Connect, network, and mingle!

Phoenix AZ Chapter: Holiday Hack Event
2019-12-14 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Phoenix) | Create Makerspace Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
Let’s Kickstart our new Phoenix Arizona Chapter of Makers Making Change!
Chapter Leader Matt Levac will team up with our maker friend and collaborator Brady Fulton (AT NOMAD) to host a Toy Hack and Switch Build Event sponsored by Makers Making Change in partnership with Accel Schools.
Event takes place Sat Dec 14, from 10am-2pm @ Create Makerspace in the Arizona Science Center.
Get your Free Tickets Here

Xmas Switch & Toy Hack w/ATMakers
2019-12-15 | Gainsville Makers Making Change
Announcing the start of our new Gainsville Florida Chapter of Makers Making Change!
Our chapter leader, Leigh Anne Brewster is a STEAM Education Specialist and FIRST Robotics Coach from P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School.
Leigh Anne will be partnering with Bill Binko, our maker friend and collaborator from ATMakers to host a Holiday Toy Hack & Switch Build Event Dec 15. They aim to create 100 toys and switches for kids in need.
Please note: this event will be a private event for students, but stay tuned for public events in the future!

Accessibility Month at Small Business British Columbia (SBBC)
2020-01-01
Small Business BC is excited to announce their inaugural Accessibility Month.
Are you looking to start or grow your own business? Join them for Accessibility Month in January 2020 featuring over 20 seminars and webinars, all with in-person ASL interpretation. A variety of topics will be covered, from business planning to financial management to market research.
All seminars are available at Small Business BC in Vancouver, or by webinar province-wide, in partnership with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (new window) and the Community Futures Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (new window).
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Disrupted Conference
2020-01-30 - 2020-01-31 | RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg, 375 York Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 3J3, Canada
Makers Making Change’s Winnipeg office will be participating in the annual Disrupted conference, taking place at Winnipeg’s RBC Convention Centre on January 30th and 31st. This conference is designed to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Come visit our booth where we will be displaying open-source assistive technology, such as our LipSync.

ATIA 2020
2020-01-30 08:00 - 2020-02-01 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | Caribe Royale Hotel and Convention Center, 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL, 32821, United States
Our Makers Making Change, Solutions, and AT Help Desk teams will be attending ATIA 2020, the world’s most extensive assistive technology (AT) conference.
We’re especially looking forward to Maker Day 3.0 on February 1st. It’s an opportunity to explore exciting innovations and learn from the AT maker community. ATMakers and Makers Making Change’s Gainsville community chapter have partnered for a switch buildathon. Join us if you’re attending the conference!

George Street Middle School Switch Build
2020-01-31 | george street middle school, 575 George St, Fredericton, NB, E3B 1K2, Canada
Makers Making Change’s Atlantic office is partnering with George Street Middle School to host a switch build event, featuring hacked toys for children with disabilities. Students will build Round Flexure Switches (MMC60). The event will take place at the middle school and is open to students.
