TOM: Melbourne

Are you a Need-Knower who has previously engaged with one of our programs? If you have a TOM: Melbourne prototype that requires maintenance or repair, or if it's not yet entirely meeting your current needs, we encourage you to reach out via our website or send an email to info@tommelbourne.com.au    👉 If you're a Maker and would like to be involved with repairs, we would love to hear from you also!    [Image description: A pair of hands putting together a small prototype, above the TOM: Melbourne logo and text that reads: “Got a prototype in need of repairs?”] 

TOM Tikkun Olam Makers 2025 Global Innovation Challenge (GIC) is now open for registration! 🚀     Are you a designer, engineer, builder or general tinkerer with a passion for creating assistive technology? Then this is your opportunity to let your innovative skills shine, while making a real impact on someone’s life. ✨    The GIC is a competition to design, engineer, and create affordable technology that will help people with disabilities live more independent and fulfilling lives. 🦾 🌈    The GIC is a flagship annual program that contributes to TOM’s vision of creating thousands of open-source solutions, and by doing so, will have the potential to help millions of people with disabilities around the world. Prizes will be awarded. 🏆💰    To register for the GIC, please visit www.tomchallenge.org!     What are you waiting for? Don’t miss the chance to join this global movement! 

Three New Year’s resolutions to have an impactful 2025:    Make New Connections 🤝 – Collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds to co-design solutions for real-world challenges.    Learn a New Skill 📐 – Explore prototyping, 3D printing, and co-design by working with other Makers.    Volunteer Your Expertise 💡 – Use your talents in engineering, design, or healthcare to create innovative assistive technology.    Ready to kick off the year by making a difference? Join our community and let’s build something amazing together!  Reach out via our website or send an email to info@tommelbourne.com.au    #NewYearNewGoals #CoDesign #InclusiveInnovation #VolunteerWithPurpose    [Image description: A clipboard with a page titled “2025 Goals” and a checklist that reads: “Make new connections. Learn a new skill. Volunteer your time.”] 

Happy New Year from TOM: Melbourne! 🎆    As we welcome 2025, we reflect on a year filled with meaningful projects and incredible collaborations. We are excited to continue our mission of co-designing assistive technology with our community, ensuring that everyone’s needs are met.    Thank you to all our Need-Knowers, Makers, and supporters for being a part of our journey. Together, let’s make this year even more impactful, inclusive, and innovative!    Here’s to new beginnings, fresh ideas, and the promise of a brighter future for all. Cheers to a fantastic 2025! 🥳    #HappyNewYear #2025 #TOMMelbourne #CoDesign    [Image description: Text that reads “2025. Happy New Year” surrounded by fireworks graphics.] 

Happy Holidays from all of us at TOM: Melbourne! 🎉    As we celebrate this festive season, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our amazing community of Need-Knowers, Makers, volunteers, and supporters. Your passion and commitment inspire us every day to create inclusive solutions that make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.    May your holidays be filled with joy, warmth, and time spent with loved ones. Here’s to a wonderful festive season and a new year of collaboration and innovation!    Wishing you all the best this holiday season! We’ll see you again January 13th 🌟    #HappyHolidays #MerryChristmas #TOMMelbourne #Inclusion    [Image description: Red circle baubles and decorations shaped like the TOM: Melbourne logo icons hanging from branches with green leaves and red berries, above text that reads: “Happy Holidays”.] 

We have been reflecting on our vision statement and the future we are working towards as an organisation. At TOM: Melbourne, our vision is “to create a world where co-design and innovation empower everyone to thrive.”     We believe in the power of community-driven innovation to break down barriers and make technology accessible for all. Together, we’re building a future of equal opportunities!  💡 #AssistiveTechnology #CoDesign #Inclusion #TOMMelbourne    [Image description: text on a white background with a grey border that reads “Our Vision, to create a world where co-design and innovation empower everyone to thrive.”] 

Happy International Day of People with Disability! 🌟    This year’s theme, “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future,” reminds us that true progress happens when people with disabilities are at the forefront of decision-making and innovation.    At TOM: Melbourne, we love to co-design with Need-Knowers—people with lived experience of disability—whose insights shape every solution we create. We’re also proud to have Mandy McCracken, a passionate advocate and person with a disability, on our board, guiding our strategic direction. Mandy is a Storyteller, Writer, Disability Advocate, and Public Speaker, who founded Get Started Disability to create a roadmap for people who have recently become disabled, drawing on her experience as a quadruple amputee. 🤝✨    Let’s continue empowering people with disabilities as leaders, advocates, and innovators to build a future where everyone can thrive. 💙    How will you amplify leadership and inclusion today?    #IDPWD #Leadership #Inclusion #Sustainability #CoDesign #AssistiveTechnology #TOMMelbourne    [Image description: Board Member Mandy McCracken standing in front of a TOM: Melbourne banner wall.] 

Today, we spotlight Jacquie Johnstone, a PhD candidate with a background in design and information technology. She collaborated on the Inclusive Makervan, a mobile makerspace co-designed for, and with, people with intellectual disabilities. This project was nominated as a finalist in the 2024 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards. To read more about the co-design process of the Inclusive Makervan, check out Jacquie’s Community Spotlight: https://lnkd.in/gXpuTgJQ #CommunitySpotlight #InclusiveMakervan #CoDesign #TOMMelbourne [Image description: A group of people posing in front of the Inclusive Makervan with their paper creations.]

Last weekend, our Makers came together with one goal: to co-design a solution for 5-year-old Malu to cut with scissors independently. Through teamwork, creativity, and innovation, we developed a prototype that Malu will be able to use at school. These moments remind us why co-design matters—when people with disabilities and passionate volunteers join forces, possibilities are limitless! A huge thank you to everyone who contributed their time, skills, and ideas. Together, we’re building a more inclusive world, one project at a time. #Makeathon #CoDesign #AssistiveTechnology #Inclusion #communityinnovation [Image description: Malu sitting on his mum's lap, holding up a picture of a strawberry he cut out with the help of his prototype paper holder]

Two weeks ago, we attended the RMIT University end-of-semester studio show, an opportunity to see and celebrate the projects students have worked on this semester, especially those that undertook a TOM: Melbourne challenge as part of their Designing for Difference elective. It’s inspiring to see the skill and perspective these students are utilising in their coursework. Picture one shows a selection of prototypes developed for moving an oven tray with one hand and protecting a communication device from the elements. Picture two shows a close-up of Dijana Jovanovic’s communication device cover, winner of the subject's Studio Award. Picture three shows a selection of swim fins for someone with limb difference. We’re excited about the future of design, where fresh ideas and innovative thinking will shape more inclusive solutions. We can’t wait to see how these budding designers apply their talents to make a positive impact. To learn more about our TOM @ University program and get involved, visit: https://lnkd.in/gQWU7tG #FutureOfDesign #InnovationForGood #InclusiveDesign #DesignThinking