Customizing Adaptive Devices for People with Disabilities

Microsoft's Bryce Johnson and John Helmes Join Make: Editor Caleb Kraft to talk about creating adaptive devices that can be customized, hacked and modded easily by makers using 3D printers as well as the people with disabilities who use them. Bryce Johnson works at the Inclusive Tech Lab at Microsoft who is one of the co-inventors of the Xbox Adaptive Controller and the Surface Adaptive Kit. John Helmes is an industrial designer at Microsoft who began creating and customizing devices for his daughter, Jara, who has cerebral palsy to help her interact with a PC. His work has led to Microsoft Adaptive Accessories, which allows users to adapt devices using 3D printed parts. Make: editor Caleb Kraft has his own side project, The Controller Project, that he and volunteers around the world 3D print accessories for free for people to be able to game. Bryce, John and Caleb have a fascinating conversation about how these capabilities are changing lives.

Links

Microsoft
https://www.xbox.com/en-US/accessories/controllers/xbox-adaptive-controller
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/accessible-adaptive-devices-accessories

Other organizations:
www.makersmakingchange.com
Ablegamers.com
www.thecontrollerproject.com
Specialeffect.org.uk

https://make.co/make-cast/