Engagement in Practice: Toy Adaptation for Children with Disabilities: Engaging the Community through Educational Outreach and Toy Donation

Abstract

Play is critical in cognitive, physical, and social development in childhood. However, many off-the-shelf toys are inaccessible to a diverse population of users with disabilities thereby excluding them from realizing these same benefits. Toy adaptation, a process of installing a universal activation port into battery-operated children’s toys, addresses a community need for accessible play technology, as it allows for toys to be activated via alternative switches that better meet the needs of the user. Over the last two years, HuskyADAPT (Accessible Design And Play Technology) at the University of Washington has built a sustainable architecture for toy adaptation and distribution to increase community awareness and improve the accessibility of adapted toys in Washington. This paper describes lessons learned and best practices in engaging the community through toy adaptation in two contexts: 1) education outreach and 2) toy donation to families, clinics, and schools.