Hacking for the Holidays: Adapting Toys for Children with Disabilities

Makers Making Change is excited to once again partner with New Brunswick's Premier's Council on Disabilities to host our annual Hacking for the Holidays event.

Volunteers will be provided with instructions, tools and materials and will to adapt a toy for switch access. Never done anything like this before? Don’t worry, no prior experience working with tools or electronics is required — we’ll walk you through every step. Everyone is welcome.

Every child deserves to play. But for many kids with disabilities, toys can be hard to use independently, and commercially adapted versions can run upwards of $300. However, with a little bit of tinkering, we can switch-adapt toys and make them accessible for a fraction of the cost.

The event is part of our Hacking for the Holidays campaign. From September to December, we’re engaging volunteers — students, corporate partners, and other community members — in 80 build events across 10 provinces to help us adapt and donate 2,000 toys and switches to families and clinicians all over Canada.

More information on Hacking For The Holidays

At Makers Making Change, a Neil Squire program, with our community of volunteers and library of over 200+ open-source designs that can be made by anyone, we enable people with disabilities to obtain affordable assistive devices and live life to the fullest.

“We use Technology, Knowledge, and Passion to Empower Canadians with Disabilities.” Neil Squire, the Canadian leader in assistive technology, has been revolutionizing the lives of Canadians with disabilities since 1984. Our work is focused on four distinct areas: Innovation, Digital Literacy, Employment, and Assistive Technology. Our work enables people with disabilities to achieve their goals, reach their full potential and continue living life to the fullest.

We collect individual requests for toys on our website (must be logged in)and we have strong relationships with children's hospitals, rehab centres, and occupational therapists across Canada.

1. Event Participation Waiver (Required). Please review here
2. Media Release (Optional). Please review here

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Crowne Plaza Fredericton-Lord Beaverbrook, an IHG Hotel, 659 Queen Street, Fredericton, Canada