Neil Squire Society

What Neil Squire Society does

Neil Squire Society is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 1984 in memory of Neil Squire, delivering assistive technology, digital literacy, employment, and innovation programs to Canadians with disabilities. Headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, it operates through five regional offices (Western/Burnaby, Prairie/Calgary-Regina, Central/Ottawa, Atlantic/Fredericton) and approximately 15 additional service points, reaching all ten provinces and cumulatively serving over 114,000 persons with disabilities since inception.

The organization's core technology portfolio centers on open-source assistive devices developed through its Makers Making Change program, including the LipSync mouth-controlled input device (originally funded by an $800,000 USD Google.org Impact Challenge grant in 2016), a library of over 200 open-source assistive device designs, and switch-adapted solutions such as the Battery Interrupter and Interact Switch. Adjacent programs include Computer Comfort and Distance Computer Comfort for digital literacy tutoring, Creative Employment Options and Empower3D (launched November 2024) for workforce development, Solutions and Hearing Solutions for clinical assistive technology assessments, and the Neil Squire Access R&D program. Devices have been delivered to 102 countries by 45,000 volunteers across 1,720+ community build events.

Revenue is generated entirely through government contracts and grants (predominantly the Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia), corporate and foundation sponsorships (Google.org, HSBC, Great-West Life, Coast Capital Savings), and individual donations under registered charitable status (#864366174 RR0001). All services are provided free of charge to participants. The organization is led by Executive Director Dr. Gary Birch (with the organization since 1981, Officer of the Order of Canada, Order of British Columbia recipient) and operates as a private non-profit with no parent company.

Name

Neil Squire Society

Legal name

Neil Squire Society

Website

https://neilsquire.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Neil Squire Society is a Canadian non-profit founded in 1984 that develops open-source assistive technologies and delivers digital literacy, employment, and innovation programs free of charge to Canadians with disabilities, operating from five regional offices nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Services and Assistive Technology

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology (AT) Access & AAC Access Support (OT-Led) (EDAKAFAG), Interagency Coordination & Case Management (VR, DD, Medicaid Waivers) (EDAKANAM), Foundational Reading & Writing Literacy (EDAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Assistive technology services
• Disability employment programs
• Digital literacy training
• Open-source assistive devices
• Ergonomic assessment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnaby

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Contracts: Neil Squire Society receives the majority of its funding from federal and provincial government contracts and grants. Programs like WorkBC Assistive Technology Services, CanCode programs, and Employment programs are government-funded.
2. Corporate and Foundation Sponsorships: Corporate partners including Great-West Life, London Life, Canada Life, Coast Capital Savings, HSBC, and Google.org provide grants and sponsorships for specific programs and initiatives.
3. Donations: Individual donations from the public, including text-to-donate campaigns and charitable giving, supported by the organization's registered charitable status.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Neil Squire Society is a Canadian non-profit organization that delivers assistive technology, digital literacy tutoring, employment support, and ergonomic services to people with disabilities. Its flagship offerings include the Makers Making Change open-source assistive device program (with the LipSync mouth-controlled input device), Computer Comfort and Distance Computer Comfort tutoring, Creative Employment Options and Empower3D employment programs, and Solutions/Hearing Solutions assistive technology services. Programs are delivered through five regional offices across Canada, online channels, and community-based build events, all at no cost to participants.

Product overview

Neil Squire Society is a Canadian non-profit organization and leader in assistive technology that offers a portfolio of programs and services organized around four pillars: Innovation, Digital Literacy, Employment, and Assistive Technology. The core offerings include Makers Making Change (an open-source assistive technology initiative with over 200 device designs), Neil Squire Access (R&D for assistive devices), Computer Comfort and Distance Computer Comfort (digital literacy tutoring), Creative Employment Options and Empower3D (employment programs), and Solutions/Hearing Solutions (assistive technology services). The organization also operates WorkBC Assistive Technology Services. These programs work together to enable people with significant physical disabilities to achieve greater independence through innovative services and technology for the home and workplace.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Makers Making Change: A program that brings together community-based makers and volunteers to create affordable, open-source assistive technologies for people with disabilities. Launched in 2016, it has delivered over 30,000 devices and engaged 45,000 volunteers.
• Neil Squire Solutions
• Hearing Solutions
• AT Help Desk
• BC Spinal Cord Injury Network
• WorkBC Assistive Technology Services

Products and services

• Makers Making Change Community-based initiative that develops and delivers affordable open-source assistive technologies for people with disabilities through a network of makers, occupational therapists, and volunteers, with a library of over 200 open-source device designs.
• Computer Comfort Volunteer-driven computer skills tutoring program that has provided computer training to people with disabilities since the organization's inception, helping them gain independence through computer literacy.
• Distance Computer Comfort

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 114,000 persons with disabilities served since 1984
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Place aux CompétencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2025Collaboration with École Anna-Malenfant, Makers Making Change, and Neil Squire Solutions to design custom assistive technology for a client.
• Electronic Arts (Full Circle)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 October 2023Electronic Arts video game development studio hosted a build event with Makers Making Change celebrating 10,000 assistive devices milestone.
• North ForgeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 October 2022Partner for Winnipeg build events with Women in 3D Printing and Red River College Polytechnic.
• Bell MobilitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2017Bell Mobility partnered with Makers Making Change for the Bell LipSync Buildathon at Toronto's STEAMLabs, engaging volunteers to build assistive devices.
• TOM:Alberta (Tikkun Olam Makers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2017Collaboration with TOM Alberta for the first LipSync Buildathon in Calgary in conjunction with the 2017 TOM:Calgary Makeathon.
• STEAMLabsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Toronto maker space that hosted the Bell LipSync Buildathon event.
• ResnetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2016Partnership with Resnet Inc. (Edmundston, New Brunswick) to expand assistive technology services in Northern New Brunswick.
• Community Futures Manitoba and SaskatchewancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership referring clients to Digital Jumpstart program to help rural entrepreneurs with disabilities raise computer skills and get online.
• École Anna-MalenfantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Place aux Compétences and Neil Squire programs to design custom assistive technology for a client.
• Women in 3D PrintingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for Winnipeg Makers Making Change build events.
• Red River College PolytechnicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for Winnipeg Makers Making Change build events.
• D-Camps (Diabetes Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to bring STEM programming through device builds to children with diabetes at summer camps across Canada.
• TELUS World of Science EdmontonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of nine Makers Making Change build events at summer camps where kids built over 200 devices.
• Ronald McDonald House SaskatchewanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of Assistive Technology Resource Kits donated by Prairie Regional Office through Solutions for Schools initiative.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ALS Society of Canada: Canadian non-profit supporting people living with ALS through equipment grants, advocacy, and research funding — directly comparable in mission (disability services), charitable status, and equipment-provision service model.
• War Amps Canada: Canadian charitable organization providing amputee support, assistive devices, and advocacy — comparable mission focus on physical disability, veteran and civilian populations, and peer-driven service delivery.
• Easter Seals Canada: Federation of provincial disability non-profits providing programs, equipment funding, and accessibility services for people with physical disabilities — comparable in mission, charitable funding mix, and equipment-focused service offerings.
• Muscular Dystrophy Canada: Canadian non-profit providing equipment funding, advocacy, and support services for people with neuromuscular disabilities — comparable scope, charitable funding model, and equipment-procurement service line.
• March of Dimes Canada: National Canadian non-profit delivering employment services, accessibility, and rehabilitation supports for people with disabilities — closely comparable mission, funder mix (government + donations), and program portfolio to Neil Squire Society.
• Spinal Cord Injury Canada: Canadian national non-profit (formerly Canadian Paraplegic Association) serving people with spinal cord injuries through peer support, employment, and advocacy services — directly comparable service model to Neil Squire, particularly its BC Spinal Cord Injury Network subsidiary.
• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind): Canada's primary blindness-related non-profit providing rehabilitation, assistive technology, and advocacy services — comparable as a national disability-services charity with government contracts and a sustained assistive technology practice.
• Rick Hansen Foundation: Canadian non-profit advancing spinal cord injury research, accessibility, and inclusion — comparable in mission focus on SCI, government/foundation funding mix, and national advocacy positioning to Neil Squire.

Others

• RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America): Professional society advancing rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology, which awarded Neil Squire's LipSync its Most Disruptive Technology Award — not a direct competitor but a credentialing body and ecosystem participant in the same assistive technology field.

Broad incumbents

• TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers: Global non-profit network using community makers to develop affordable assistive technology for people with disabilities — explicitly listed as a Neil Squire partner through TOM:Alberta, with overlapping open-source maker-driven AT development model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NeilSquireSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/neilsquiresoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neil-squire-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/neilsquiresociety
• Xx.com/NeilSquireSoc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Neil Squire Society