By Caitlin Gillie

Recently, students in a grade 8 Biomedical Engineering class got the opportunity to work with Shanelle Waiting from Makers Making Change (MMC), a non-profit organization that creates and distributes adaptive technology for people with disabilities. In our Biomedical Engineering option student explore the application of engineering principles to design and develop medical devices, equipment, and technologies that can improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and other medical conditions. The goal of this project was to experience adaptive gaming controllers for video games before making their own to donate back to MMC.

The project began with the grade 8 students learning about adaptive technologies and the importance of creating accessible products for people with disabilities. They were introduced to MMC and the work they do, which includes creating open-source designs for assistive technology devices.

Next, the students were given the opportunity to try out some of Makers Making Change’s adaptive gaming controllers for themselves. A variety of video game consoles were brought in for students to experience first-hand the difference that these devices can make in the lives of people with disabilities. They learned how these devices can help individuals with mobility impairments, such as those with cerebral palsy or spinal cord injuries, to participate in video games and other leisure activities that they may not have been able to before.

After getting a feel for the controllers, the students were then challenged to design and build their own adaptive switches. We were fortunate to work with some of our own grade 10 3D printing embassadors from the STEM Innovation High School who printed and oversaw the production of dozens of switch parts for our builds.

Students assembled the adaptive switches in class, to ultimately donate them to Makers Making Change. This project allowed the students to learn about Biomedical Engineering, adaptive technology, and the importance of accessibility. They were able to work with a non-profit organization and experience the impact that their work can have on others. Through this project, they developed their engineering skills and gained a deeper understanding of the role that technology can play in improving people’s lives.

The open source plans and files for the MMC60 Switch that our students assembled with Chanel can be found here: https://makersmakingchange.com/project/mmc60-switch/