Please give now to the Neil Squire Society to support Canadians with disabilities through employment, digital literacy, and innovation. Every gift makes an impact.

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Tune into Neil Squire Society’s Facebook Live event at 10:30am PST on November 15th to find out how we are changing lives One Technology at a Time. #PoweredToEnable #LIFTpartners.

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The best posture is the next posture, said Gene Kay, director of ergonomics, VelocityEHS, during the presentation “Understand and Resolve Your Complex Office Evaluation Requests,” at the 2018 National Ergonomics Conference & Ergo Expo. Office furniture and equipment vendors flooded the exposition floor with beautifully crafted office desks made of metal, aluminum, wood, and even plastic. And, the sea of chairs in delicious fabrics and textures make even those least interested in design bat their eyes. But, as we know, looks only go so far. What Kay reminded us, no matter how pretty the equipment, functionality and adjustability are most important. Does it accommodate the 25^th percentile female and the 95^th percentile male? Does it promote movement? If your answer is “no,” you may be at risk of developing a musculoskeletal disorder.

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Exercise balls (stability balls) have made their way from the gym to the office. You may have seen coworkers sitting on them or maybe the thought of trying one has crossed your mind. Maintaining balance when sitting and working on an exercise ball requires the user to engage his or her core, so it sounds like a no-brainer decision to use them. But, does the research back up the positive claims encouraging the use of exercise balls in the office?

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This post is part of the Neil Squire Society’s Powered to Enable campaign. Join us in October as we share the story of Neil Squire and the early days of the Neil Squire Society.

Neil and His Accident

On January 26th, 1981, Neil Squire, an accounting student and basketball star at the University of Victoria, was driving on an icy road in Nanaimo, BC. Only a short distance from his home, his car hit a patch of black ice and skidded into a tree.

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Powered symbolizes the barrier-breaking technology and knowledge we provide to people with disabilities in order to Enable them to lead more independent lives.  With your support, we are Powered to Enable.

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Grant Hardy from Accessible Media Inc. checks out our Technology@Work program and meets two recipients whose lives have been changed for the better by. Watch the video here:

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Spinal muscular atrophy is a progressive condition that weakens a person’s muscles. When David was diagnosed with it, his doctors believed he wouldn’t live past the age of two.

“I’ve always been an overachiever. As you can see, not only have I lived past the age of 2 but I have thrived,” says David on his website.

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Encourage Employees to Move and Take Breaks

• The 20-20-20 Rule helps reduce eye strain: Look 20 feet away from the computer for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
• Alternating between sitting and standing or incorporating stretch breaks helps employees be healthy at work.
• Changing positions doesn’t take away from valuable working time, but rather can make for a more healthy and efficient employee.

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The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is hosting its annual conference in Vancouver this year, from June 20th to 23rd. Makers Making Change‘s Zee Kesler will be hosting a pre-conference workshop introducing maker skills to occupational therapists.

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