Communicating With Makers

Communication
Makers will need to contact you and ask questions when you request a device or propose a design challenge. Check your email and the website regularly to make sure you don’t miss anything. Also, double check which email you signed up to the website with, and look in your junk folder. 
Remember, our volunteers may not regularly work with people with disabilities, so use plain language when describing what you need. If they make any mistakes in their communications, feel free to educate them, but be kind and patient.
Tagging
When messaging with the maker, sometimes they won’t get notifications for new updates on a request, so try tagging them with the @ symbol along with their username to ensure they get notified and see your message! You can find the requesters @ name by clicking on your profile and looking at your "my requests and builds". 
A screen shot of the chat function of the communication section of the maker requests from the web page.

Chat Visibility
Maker Wanted - Anything you submit with the request (the message you post to the maker) is visible to all users. Any posts between you and the maker who takes on the device are private. These posts can only be seen by you, the maker, and MMC staff. 
Design Challenges – Any posts to Design Challenges on the Forum are visible to all users. We recommend avoiding posting personal information there, other than what would be required to complete the design. 
Privacy  
You may want to share your experience working with a volunteer with others. Do not share any personal information without first getting permission from the other people involved. Remember, anything they share with you is considered private unless they give you permission to share it. 
Please see our Privacy Policy if you have any questions about how MMC stores and uses personal information. 
Working with Volunteers 
Our volunteers come from various backgrounds and may either be new to making or have limited spare time to work on projects. This may increase the time it takes to design or build a device. The designs may also not be as polished as something sold commercially.
Reimburse Material and Shipping Costs 
Before requesting a device, look at the estimated cost range on the device listing, and make sure you can pay for the cost of materials and shipping. You can also ask the maker for an updated estimate before they begin building.  
Once the device has been built, coordinate with the maker how to reimburse the part costs and delivery. We recommend using Interac e-Transfer, PayPal, or Venmo so only an email or user handle is exchanged. 
Customizations
Device Requests – Each device has different options for customization; ask your maker how they can customize the device for you. Depending on the device and
Customizations what materials the maker has, they may be able to customize the colour or there may be different size options. 
Design Challenges – New designs require a lot of customization and communication with your maker. Keep in contact to see what information they need from you. 
Timeline 
Communicate with the maker about how long they expect it to take to complete the request. 
Timelines will vary depending on the request. Simple 3D prints could take a few days, complex devices could take a few weeks to months, and design challenges could take over a year to complete.  
Remember, the maker may have questions, and not responding will delay delivery. 
Adapted Toys 
If you request an adapted toy, keep in mind that toy availability changes often, and the toy you want may not be available. In that case, you may be asked to provide an alternative or describe why you chose that toy. For example, if the goal is to have a toy that lights up, or a toy that makes noise, then the maker can use that goal to suggest a different suitable toy. 
Send Shipping Address 
Make sure to send a shipping address to the maker so they know where to ship the device! 
If this is a device request from the Maker Wanted section, your chat is private, and you can send your address there. If this is a Design Challenge, make sure to start a new private chat to share your address.  If you choose to meet with your volunteer Maker keep your safety in mind and make sure to meet somewhere public like a local library.
Mark Request Complete 
Once you have received your assistive device, make sure to go into the device request on your page, and mark the request stage as “Complete”. You can then also leave a review on the device page to let us know how you like it.