Vancouver engineers who donate time to customize devices to assist those with significant physical disabilities will be honoured June 23 when the Tetra Society of North America holds its 2010 Gizmo Awards.
Former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan founded Tetra back in 1987.
After Sullivan was rendered quadriplegic in a 1979 skiing accident, he asked an engineer to help design solutions for day-to-day household requirements. Tetra grew from that request and has sprouted 45 chapters throughout North America.
“We have a core of 25 volunteers in Vancouver,” Tetra’s executive director, Duane Geddes told Business in Vancouver. The Vancouver chapter completed 112 projects for people with disabilities last year.
“These devices are all customized,” he explained. “They are usually low-tech. The customized devices are one-offs that allow people greater mobility and independence that can help them with eating, drinking, personal care, communications – whatever it might be.”
One eligible project is from Sytek Enterprises Inc. engineer Ruben Ugarte who helped devise a bike trailer for a child whose family is into cycling.
“They were previously unable to take this little guy with them,” Geddes said. “The trailer is attached to the dad’s bike and his son can follow on behind.”
The awards ceremony is free to attend and will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre at 818 West 10th Avenue.