Everyone Can is a charity based in Sale, Manchester that offers services to improve the lives of disabled people through assistive digital technology and gaming.
The team researches both existing and emerging tech that can provide a greater level of independence and quality of life for those living with a range of physical and learning disabilities.
We've put this blog together to introduce you to the charity and some of the amazing work they do.
Assistive Technology Assessments
The first step to helping improve a disabled person’s life is understanding the challenges they face and how technology can help alleviate them.
Everyone Can’s team of fully trained and experienced assessors conduct over the phone and in person sessions at the centre in Manchester to understand the individual needs of each person, before recommending tech solutions based on the results.
If they cannot make it to the centre - or the team think it would be better to see them in their home environment - then they can organise a home visit.
If there is funding available at the time, then the home visit is provided free of any charge.
Assistive Technology Workshops
The assistive technology workshops are when Everyone Can showcases how digital technology can transform the day-to-day lives of disabled people.
Disabled people, parents, carers and just about anyone else is welcome to come along to learn about the positive impact assistive technology can have.
The workshops are held in the centre, but the team has also been known to load up the van and visit external sites to deliver training sessions to those further away.
These sessions are crucial to raising awareness and helping disabled people make the most out of their new assistive devices.
Gaming Sessions
The Everyone Can centre has a dedicated ‘Gaming Zone’ that welcomes both disabled children and adults for gaming sessions each week.
The consoles, hardware and games are all specially chosen to ensure accessibility for attendees, so that they can game without compromising on fun!
Families and carers are welcome to come along and join in on the activities or just relax with a coffee for a couple of hours knowing that everyone is safe and having a great time.
These sessions are about more than fun, they allow children and adults who are often isolated by their disabilities to socialise and interact with one another. Some lifelong friendships are born between the gamers at the centre and for parents and carers, they have a valuable support network to talk to and share a coffee with a few times a week.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Everyone Can
Covid-19 has significantly impacted Everyone Can’s ability to generate funds. The charity relies heavily on its regular fundraising events, all of which had to be cancelled due to the lockdown restrictions enforced in the UK.
New safety measures - such as PPE and the need for regular intensive cleaning – have brought about additional costs for the charity, which are difficult to cover with less funding being generated.
How You Can Support Everyone Can
You can support Everyone Can in several ways. The charity takes cash donations, hardware and software (consoles and games), software keys and if you have some free time, they are always looking for people to lend a hand.
Game Together Live Stream
On September 26th, Everyone Can will kick off ‘Game Together’, their annual 24-hour charity live stream running from 10 am in the morning to the following day.
We are delighted to say that some of our studio members will be raising money and taking part in Everyone Can’s stream as well as hosting streams on their personal channels!
You can support our team taking part and Everyone Can by donating to their individual Just Giving pages below:
Donate to Robin McFarland's page. - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RjmcfGameTogether
Donate to Toby Gallagher's page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/toby-gallagher1
Donate to Jack Ryan's Page - https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/akajry