How to Get Started as an e-NABLE Volunteer
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in helping us to “Enable The Future” and “Give A Helping Hand” to those who are in need of an upper limb assistive device! There are many opportunities to volunteer with the e-NABLE Community and you can find some of your options below!
If you would like to become a volunteer – please see some suggestions below for ways in which you can help out the growing global e-NABLE Community of volunteers and recipients!
A Few Words About Finding e-NABLE Device Recipients
One of the most frequently asked questions is whether e-NABLE provides recipients to volunteers. The short answer is no.....each volunteer is responsible for finding their own recipients. However, there are some resources and suggestions that have proven to be useful for volunteers seeking folks with limb differences. These include:
- Register for our online matching app, e-NABLE Web Central at www.enablewebcentral.com. Establish a schedule of regularly browsing any open cases to see if you can volunteer for the various roles. In the profile screen (click on your name in the upper-right corner after logging in), you can configure options for receiving email notifications whenever a new device request is submitted within a specified distance of your location.
- Conduct your own marketing campaigns... Your ability to 3D print, assemble and donate prostheses is valuable, and people want to know about it. Look for any and every opportunity to tell people what you do. Arrange presentations to local civic groups, places of worship, libraries, schools, and hospitals. There is a good chance someone who hears about your capabilities will know someone who needs what we can offer!
- Join a local chapter if one exists... There is strength in numbers. If a local chapter doesn't exist, consider starting one. Conduct internet searches for organizations and groups that work with refugees, or other underserved communities. Tell them what you do.
There are many people who need prostheses. Reaching out to friends and family will help identify them.
Good luck, and best wishes in your search!
How to Get Started as a Volunteer
Step 1: If you haven’t already done so, refer to the Welcome Page to familiarize yourself with the e-NABLE Hub (the online platform you are currently on).
Step 2: Familiarize yourself with e‑NABLE’s Code of Conduct
It’s important that you understand and follow some simple rules when working with e‑NABLE. This is to protect you, as well the people you make devices for (many of whom are minors). Please read the e-NABLE Code of Conduct carefully. After reading the Code of Conduct, please complete this short form to indicate your acceptance. This is a prerequisite to earning the e-NABLE Volunteer digital badge award.
Step 3: Check the New Members Welcome space here on the Hub, and join in the next of our monthly New Member Online Meetups. It’s a great way to get questions answered and get help starting up as a new volunteer.
Step 4: Familiarize yourself with the current e‑NABLE designs available
This page includes a list of current e-NABLE designs along with links to STL files (for 3D printing), documentation, assembly tutorial videos, and other related information.
If you’re unsure which design to start with, the e-NABLE Phoenix Hand v3 is e‑NABLE’s current recommended hand design, and the Unlimbited Arm v2.1 is the recommended arm design. Both are relatively easy to fabricate and assemble and are the most popular designs currently.
Step 5: Make a test device
Once you pick a design to start with, you should create a test device and submit it for approval. Since this device isn’t being created for a specific recipient, it can be made in any size, but we recommend that you use a scale of 120-135%. At 100% scale, the device will be too small for most people, and it will be harder to assemble at that size. 120-135% is a common size range for younger recipients, and it will be easier to assemble the device.
Most of the designs featured in the designs reference include links to instructions and/or video tutorials to help you get started.
3D Universe offers assembly materials kits for some of the most popular e‑NABLE designs. Assembly materials can also be purchased individually from various online or local sources.
Step 6: Submit your test device for approval
Once you have 3D printed and assembled a test device, go here and select the appropriate badge in the Maker category. Submit your evidence and request the appropriate badge.
For more information about the Digital Badge Awards program and to see a full list of available badges, please visit this page.
Step 7: Learn how to properly size e‑NABLE devices
Before you start making devices for actual recipients, it’s important to learn how to properly size a device. Please see this page for details.
Step 8: Create an account on e‑NABLE Web Central
e‑NABLE Web Central is a web-based application used to connect individuals seeking to receive e‑NABLE devices with volunteers offering to make them. Visit e‑NABLE Web Central and create an account for yourself.
Be sure to select the “Fabricator” and/or “Device Assembler” roles during the registration process (or you can select them from the Edit Profile screen), or you won’t be able to see the volunteering related pages within e‑NABLE Web Central.
Step 9: Introduce yourself in the e-NABLE Forum and Claim your “Joined the e-NABLE Hub“, “Introduced Self in the e-NABLE Hub“ and “e-NABLE Volunteer” badges (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category)!”
Step 10: Find Someone Who Needs a Device and Offer to Help
e-NABLE Web Central is a self-service matching platform. So once you’ve created an account for yourself, you need to go to Browse Cases (under the Volunteering menu) and find a case that looks like something you can assist with, ideally in your geographic area. Once you find a case, you can click the “Offer to Help” button to offer assistance in one of several roles for that case.
The Experienced Volunteer role is responsible for reviewing the sizing photos and determining the most appropriate device type and size.
The Fabricator role is responsible for 3D printing the parts for a device.
The Device Assembler role is responsible for assembling a device and delivering it to the end-user.
You are welcome to offer to help with any or all of these roles for any given case.
Once you have made an offer to help, the case creator will need to review and accept your offer. Then you can proceed with producing the device.
Before making a device for a recipient, we recommend that you have them sign a Release and Waiver of Liability and a Photo/Video Release Agreement (both available in several languages).
Step 11: Join a local e‑NABLE chapter – or start a new one
A list of e‑NABLE chapters can be found here. Feel free to reach out to nearby chapters to see how you can get involved with them. You can also start a new chapter in your area.
Step 12: Search for your own cases, both near and far
While registering for EWC (e-NABLE Web Central), and volunteering for cases is an excellent way to lend a hand, don’t stop there! Talk to people in your local community, church or civic organization. Tell them what you do, and you may well get referrals to local people who need prosthetics. There is plenty of need in our world, and regions of poverty and strife can present opportunities to donate prostheses. Do research and find organizations or individuals who might be interested in your help. Then reach out with a “cold call” email, and offer your assistance. You may be surprised by their response!
Regional partners may well be connected with international organizations, and the leads and experiences you have with the former may help us all establish relationships with the latter.
One thing to watch out for is “collisions.” If you think another e-NABLE player may already have contacted your regional prospect, compare notes and coordinate. Similarly, if you see an opportunity with an international player, check with SPC or the broader e-NABLE community through G+ or Facebook before reaching out to the contact. Larger organizations have more bureaucracy than we do, and have a harder time understanding a distributed network like e-NABLE. We want to spare them as much confusion, and as many conflicting perspectives, as possible.
Step 13: Print parts for e-NABLE hand-a-thon events!
Sometimes it can be difficult to find individuals who need an e-NABLE device. When you’re not working on a specific case, you can always put your 3D printer to good use by printing parts and sending them unassembled, for use in e-NABLE hand-a-thon events. Read more here.
Other Ways You Can Help
- Join our Loomio group, “E-nablio”, to participate in community voting for proposed projects and initiatives
- Check out the e-NABLE Volunteering Needs space here in the e-NABLE Hub to see all the other ways you can help out.
- Start an e-NABLE Chapter in your area! If you do not find an established e-NABLE Chapter near you and would be interested in starting one, please refer to the instructions on the chapters page!
- Claim your “e-NABLE Community Chapter” Badge (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category)!
- If you have access to a 3D printer and would like to help create unassembled hand kits for end users – please see this post for details.
- Display e-NABLE Community devices and information at events and Makerfaires to share the work of the global community and reach out to local families and recipients as well as school groups who might be interested in participating! You can find promotional materials HERE.
Claim your “Event Organizer” or “Participant” e-NABLE Event badges (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category)!
Feel free to seek guidance from the e-NABLE Community Volunteers through the e-NABLE Forum!
PLEASE NOTE:
- e-NABLE is not a company - we are a global volunteer network of digital humanitarians.
- 3D printed e-NABLE Community devices aren’t for everyone. In many cases, professional prosthetic consultation is required.
Educators, Student Groups, and Schools
If you are interested in creating e-NABLE’s 3D printed hands for your school projects, using e-NABLE in your STEM/STEAM programs, have scouts troops or youth groups that would like to get involved in making a difference as e-NABLE Volunteers and find matches to make devices for:
If you are interested in simply using the design files in your classrooms as educational tools and service-learning projects, please feel free to do so, as the designs are all open-source and free to use and create!
If you are a school or educational group and are interested in purchasing a 3D printer for your students/group and need help in deciding which machine to purchase, please contact info@3duniverse.org who can help guide you to a 3D printer that will best suit your classroom and group needs! Please make sure to tell them that you are specifically looking for a 3D printer to use to create e-NABLE devices!
If you would like to become official e-NABLE Community School Groups and Chapters and potentially get recipients to create devices for – please see the steps below:
STEP 1: Teachers/Leaders – please introduce yourself in the e-NABLE Forum and:
Claim your “Joined the e-NABLE Hub“, “Introduced Self in the e-NABLE Hub“ and “e-NABLE Volunteer” badges (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category)!”
STEP 2: Locate the files for the design that you would like to print for your test hands: We suggest starting with the e-NABLE Phoenix Hand v3.
STEP 3: Assemble your test hand device. Once you have 3D printed and assembled a test device, fill out this form to submit your evidence and request the appropriate badges. There are two badges you can claim. Under the e-NABLE Device Specific Badge category, you can claim both the Fabrication and Assembly badges for the device type you produced.
STEP 4: Please visit the e-NABLE Chapters page and register your school/library/makerspace or scout group as an e-NABLE Chapter.
STEP 5: Please create an e-NABLE Chapter Facebook page or website – for your group/school – and let us know about it so we can follow your work!
Please claim one of the following badges (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category):
• e-NABLE Community School
• e-NABLE Community Library
• e-NABLE Community Makerspace
• e-NABLE Community Scout Troop
STEP 6: If your students/group would like to allow recipients to find you and contact you directly for assistance, please make sure to add yourselves to the e-NABLE Chapters map so that your students can create a device or tool for them! Claim your e-NABLE Community Chapter Badge (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category)!
STEP 7: Please follow us on twitter and instagram – ( @enablethefuture ) - as well as Facebook and use the #enablethefuture hashtag to share your classroom images when you wish to do so! We love to see e-NABLE in your classrooms!
STEP 8: If you have created your own e3STEAM e-NABLE Based curriculum and would like to share it with other students and schools, please feel free to share:
Claim your “Created e-NABLE e3STEAM Curriculum” badge (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category)!
STEP 9: If you would like to send your hands to those in need for our underserved e-NABLE Chapters, to be used in educating clinicians how to use 3D printed devices and for helping to teach other schools who do not have access to 3D printers about this project – please consider mailing your completed devices to our volunteer Maria Esquela, who will package them up and ship them to locations where the need is great and your completed hands will find homes with children and adults who need them!
Please ship to:
Attn: Professor Robert Payne SUNY Polytechnic Institute, College of Engineering 100 Seymour Ave. Rm 1191 Utica, NY 13502
Claim your “Donated an e-NABLE Device” badge (in the e-NABLE Community Participation Badge category).
Feel free to incorporate the community chapters logo into your own if you would like! You can find the file here!
Additional Ways to Volunteer
- Join the e-NABLE Forum and collaborate on designs! (Claim the “e-NABLE Community Designer” and “Designed a 3D printed e-NABLE device” badges!)
- Create video tutorials or written instructions! (Claim your “Tutorial Creator” badge!)
- Greet people in the e-NABLE Forum and help them out as they get started! (Claim your “e-NABLE Greeter” badge!)
- Display e-NABLE at a booth at an event and share about the Community and potentially meet individuals in need of devices in person! (Claim your “Event Participant” badge!)
- Print hand kits for hand-a-thon events for scout troops, schools, libraries or medical training groups who want to assemble devices as learning tools or training purposes and to donate them to e-NABLE Chapters in need. (Claim your “Donated a hand kit“ badge!)
- Design fun themed versions of the current devices and share the files so that makers and families can enjoy them! (Claim your “Artistic designer” and “Created a themed device” badges!)
- Hold a “Hand-a-thon” at your local school, library, makerspace or scouting event. (Claim your “Organized a Hand-a-thon” and “Hand-a-thon Participant” badges!)
Don’t Have Your Own 3D Printer?
If you do not have access to a 3D printer but are interested in finding one in your community so that you can help print devices, please visit the 3D Printing Options page for ideas on where you might locate a 3D printer in your area!
Still Have Questions?
Post a message in the e-NABLE Forum, and other volunteers will help you out!