Tetra Society of North America

Tetra was founded with the will of one individual, Sam Sullivan, who was determined to increase his own independence after becoming quadriplegic. With the help of a compassionate volunteer, Paul Cermak, who devised simple modifications that revolutionized Sam’s apartment, the sense of empowerment that fuels Tetra Society of North America began. While Sam went on to become mayor of Vancouver and is now a BC Liberal MLA, Tetra has grown to 27 local chapters providing customized solutions to over 40 communities across Canada and the United States. Each year, more than 200 Tetra volunteers design and build hundreds of custom assistive devices.

Tetra recruits volunteers who work with clients to design and build assistive devices that are custom-made for the individual – these are devices that are either not available commercially or cost-prohibitive. As a non-profit organization, Tetra raises funds to deliver this program, including covering the costs of volunteer travel and materials for devices up to $500 per project. The scope of Tetra projects is just as diverse as the clients we work with. The work Tetra does addresses needs in different areas of a person’s life.