Volunteers
CanAssist volunteers come from all walks of life and bring a variety of skills and experiences to their roles. We would like to thank all our volunteers for dedicating their time and effort in helping people with disabilities.
Robin Mazumder:
When Robin is not volunteering for UVATT or studying for his Biology courses, he acts as the Summer Service Co-coordinator for Recreation Integration Victoria (RIV)—an organization that helps facilitate active lifestyles for people with disabilities. Robin’s involvement with CanAssist began when he realized that the current hockey sticks did not allow wheelchair hockey players to reach their full athletic potential. Consequently, he approached CanAssist with the problem and has been part of the team ever since. Currently, Robin is assisting CanAssist with its EMG project.
Fonda Willis:
Fonda has a graduate degree in Clinical Psychology and has over 20 years experience as a counselor, educator and health care manager. Her professional background is in the field of mental health, addictions, and long-term care. Fonda is a strong advocate of equal access for persons with disabilities and believes that assistive technology must be more readily available for everyone.
Jenn Bond:
Even though Jenn is a busy fourth year Kinesiology student, she still tries to devote much of her spare time to volunteering. She works one-on-one with CanAssist clients, helping to test and monitor the usability of our devices. As well, she works as a Soccer Buddy for the CanAssist Just for Kicks soccer program. Jenn loves to volunteer and says it is the highlight of her week.
Coral Bates:
Coral is a third year kinesiology student whose greatest ambition is to become an occupational therapist. She finds it very rewarding to be volunteering with CanAssist because she can gain valuable experience in her field of interest. Coral is currently assisting CanAssist clients with the usage of the dynamic keyboard.
April Proudlove:
April began volunteering with CanAssist in April 2006. She enjoys learning new things and helps the CanAssist team by testing the new devices/technology. On her spare time, she likes to work on her computer, read, shop, and play games.
Elaine Baird:
While working on a project for her Electrical Engineering Design course, Elaine encountered CanAssist and became interested in its activities. She is currently completing her Computer Engineering degree and is now using her knowledge and research skills to help a woman—with Multiple Sclerosis—communicate via computer interface. She believes that CanAssist offers a great opportunity to put her skills and education to good use.
Tim Rathjen:
Tim is a fourth year Electrical Engineering student whose interest lies in audio signal processing. Besides volunteering at CanAssist, Tim also organizes hockey intramural games and is highly involved in his Inter-varsity Christian Fellowship. With CanAssist, Tim has helped apply the 3D Position and Motion Detector to music therapy programs.
Norma Haskett:
Norma is a retired seamstress who uses her sewing expertise to produce critical elements for some of CanAssist’s customized devices. Her unique items have helped bring warmth to many of CanAssist’s mechanical devices.
John Horton:
Born in Central Africa, John received his engineering degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. His engineering experience has spanned all over the world, from working in Africa to working in Great Britain. He immigrated to Canada in 1957 and has since worked for BC Hydro and the province of Quebec. Now retired, he brings his expertise to CanAssist, helping the team develop communication equipment for people with disabilities.
Iain Maitland:
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Iain’s experience has ranged from owning and operating a steel fabrication business, working as a ship fitter and welder to becoming a licensed practical nurse. Currently, Iain is a solartech supervisor for local company, Carmanah Technologies Corporation. With CanAssist, Iain is assisting clients with the dynamic keyboard and finds it very rewarding when he sees the clients progress.