Working directly with people with disabilities and mobility issues made me realize that there was a disparity in our local community in promoting the development of assistive devices and technology to be a functional and independent part of their lives. People with disabilities can often be challenged by fine motor skills such as grasping, and other fine dexterities.
The focus of this project was to design and develop a prototype of an assistive device that would benefit the day to day activities of people with disabilities using a 3D-printing software and 3D-printer. The design was human-centered and took into consideration the daily constraints and possible solutions of these challenges. The designed devices included a grocery bag holder, key holder, pen holder and a capped bottle opener. The designed files (STL files) were then uploaded and printed on a 3D-printer. Through our NSG grant 16 of these assistive devices were made and donated to a Richmond organization that supports disabled individuals.
Through this project, I learned an incredible amount about 3D-printing and how we can use these innovative ways to help the community, bring awareness to those around us about the needs of disabled people and support their needs in a creative but constructive way.
Lastly, this project would have not been possible without the funding from the Neighbourhood Small Grants Program, Vancouver Foundation and Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives! Thank you for making this project come to life and allowing the community a notable understanding of assistive devices and how they can benefit people with disabilities.
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