Footscray film-maker Amy Marks is joining a team of people helping create solutions to problems for people living with a disability.
Marks is taking part in the TOM: Melbourne Makeathon, a 72-hour event starting on Friday where technology specialists join forces to develop creative and low-cost solutions to meet a range of challenges.
The Victoria University screen media student lives with cerebral palsy, which affects her balance and gross motor skills.
The 21-year-old, pictured above, came to prominence last year when she was one of five winners nationwide selected to create a short piece to screen on SBS television as part of National Youth Week. Her use of crutches makes carrying hand held cameras impossible, so her team of ‘makers’ have been tasked with creating a solution to assist her documentary making. Other challenges will include a bottle pourer, a foot cursor and a guide dog harness.
To date, more than 250 prototypes have been developed through TOM Makeathons globally.
TOM stands for Tikkun Olam Makers, translated from Hebrew as makers who are “repairing the world”. In all, 100 people will take part in 11 challenges from Friday to Sunday, forming teams from engineers, craftspeople, occupational therapists and programmers.
This year’s Makeathon will be open to the public on both Saturday and Sunday, entry $5.
Donate via chuffed.org/project/tommelbourne-makeathon-for-assistive-technology. Details: aus.tomglobal.org
Benjamin Millar
