In 2007, the Operation Farm Safety program, a coalition of partners led by Farmers with Disabilities, produced The Visit, the first in a two-part series on farm safety.
This booklet and the second were used in Saskatchewan schools for children in kindergarten through grade three.
The Visit
Dr. Alvin Buckwold
Dr. Alvin Buckwold was a Saskatoon paediatrician who was instrumental in establishing programs at SaskAbilities in the early 1950s, particularly the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre and Camp Easter Seal. This portrait is from 1973.
The Quad-Joy device was developed nearly 40 years ago by an engineer, after one of their members became paralyzed in a tragic accident. The initial goal was to design a tool that could perform all the functions of a standard computer mouse without the need for hand use. Over the years, the Quad-Joy has evolved significantly, incorporating feedback from users and advancements in technology. The device uses a combination of directional gestures from the lips, as well as a sip/puff sensor to allow functionality for menu’s macros and program specific uses. The model supplied is from the mid 1990’s. Modern versions are available with Bluetooth, USB and will connect to nearly any device without issue.
Quad-Joy Device
100% cotton face mask
At the onset of the global COVID-19 Pandemic, many individuals and corporations were scrambling to access PPE. Both the Saskatoon & Regina Branches’ saw this as an opportunity to serve their respective communities, and diversify products manufactured in their Sewing Departments.
A 100% cotton face mask was soon designed and sold to private customers, Saskatoon and Regina Civic Departments, Provincial Government Agencies, and large mining corporations. The original single layer mask design sold well but as regulations changed and customers looked for greater protection, a revision was born to meet the demands. The result was an improved double layered mask that was more contoured to the face, available in two different sizes, and secured with adjustable elastic ear loops.
In the first few months of manufacturing alone, well over 20,000 masks were sold!
This is a point press (also known as a ‘clapper’) used for ironing seams during the sewing process. The clapper is the case, used to smooth out sections of fabric. It can be used to iron seams open. This tool was purchased from SaskAbilities around 1958, in support of people experiencing disability.
Clapper
The Kiwanis Club of Riversdale
The Kiwanis Club of Riversdale and SaskAbilities have enjoyed a long and rewarding partnership. It began in 1968, the year of the first-ever RIKI Walkathon from Saskatoon to Pike Lake in support of Camp Easter Seal, raising over $36,000. In today’s values, that is about $300,000! Those funds were used to construct five new cabins at Camp Easter Seal the following year in 1969. In the years since then, Kiwanis Club of Riversdale has raised over $2 million for SaskAbilities and Camp Easter Seal with ongoing annual donations continuing today.
This pumpkin was created by the Yorkton Branch’s Ceramics Department in the early 1980s.
Pumpkin
Orthotic device
This orthotic device was custom manufactured in the 1960’s or early 1970s for a client with Legg-Perthes Disease. The orthosis holds the ball of the hip joint in place. Today, most cases are treated surgically.
This oscillating saw was used back in the 1960’s to remove casts on patients. The blade vibrates back and forth to cut the cast material, and this action prevents skin injury. This saw was also used to remove plastic off vacuum formed casts when fabricating orthoses. Today’s versions of cast cutters are similar in function but have a more ergonomic design for the user.
Oscillating Saw
The tales of the salty and mineral-rich healing waters of Little Manitou Lake go back hundreds of years. An indigenous group left three people on the lakeshore on their death bed and needed to move on. The three people, who had run out of options moved into the waters and drank the salty and mineral-rich water. They were healed and caught up with rest of the group who were shocked at their return. From there the stories spread into consciousness of the European settlers and traders who heard of it. By 1920 Manitou Beath rivalled Banff for tourism, with 15,000+ people a day at the beach – all because of the healing waters.
Betty Meyers painted All Work Has Equal Value, an oil on canvas in 1993. The work is of a cooperative in Moose Jaw where all individuals, including people experiencing disability, had an equal voice and received equal pay. Betty Meyers generously donated this painting to SaskAbilities.
In the early 1990s, the estate of Sam Spencer generously donated Hockey Player, created in 1981, along with other wood carvings, to SaskAbilities.
A renowned Saskatchewan artist, Spencer used jackknives and carving knives to carve in polychrome wood and create plaques of birds, animals and, in this case, sports figures
