It can be difficult to find the right toys for Raven. She has Cockayne Syndrome Type II, meaning that she can鈥檛 sit or stand on her own, and has hearing loss and a visual impairment.
So, when her family received a box of adapted toys from our #HackingForTheHolidays campaign 鈥 including a switch-adapted Bopping Beaver, Peppa Pig, and a Spinning Light Wand, as well as the switches to use them 鈥 it came as a pleasant surprise.
鈥淚 was really thankful when we got the toys just before Christmas, because it gives us more of a chance to engage with her,鈥 says Susan, Raven鈥檚 mother. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really difficult to try to find toys that are geared towards your child鈥檚 disability, a lot of the interactive electronic toys are really big, and really heavy.鈥
Her family had been working with a local child development centre, borrowing toys that Raven could play with, but these are the first adapted toys she鈥檚 owned. Being able to keep the toys, she can spend more time playing with them and learning from them.
Raven particularly enjoys the Spinning Light Wand, which is small enough for her to grab, and she enjoys the orange lights.
鈥淏ecause she is visually impaired, she tends to gravitate towards light, so she really does love [it],鈥 says Susan. 鈥淎nd also, I think because she seems to kind of prefer the colour orange over a lot of other things.鈥
Her family is grateful for everyone who supported the #HackingForTheHolidays campaign.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a two year battle trying to find toys that I can get for her,鈥 Susan shares. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really think that something as small as a toy can really make a difference in their life, [but] you see them engaged because this is new, this is fun, and when they are able to engage, then they are able to learn things and see things, and it鈥檚 good for them.
鈥淭hank you for everything that you do for kids that are disabled and need toys like this to get them engaged and play and have fun.鈥