Met by worldwide applause, toymaker Makies has released a line of dolls with customizable disabilities. Makies uses 3D-printing technology to create hearing aids, walking aids, facial birthmarks, and other customizable differences for the dolls.
They were inspired by a social media campaign, Toy Like Me that requested parents DIY customize their child’s toys to make them look like their children and then to post them online. #ToyLikeMe® was established in April 2015 after UK journalist Rebecca Atkinson noticed the lack of disability representation in toys. Rebecca had spent nearly 20 years working in TV production and print journalism (including Children’s BBC) and had always been interested in the way these industries represent disabled people, but this was the first time she had noticed the lack of representation in the toy industry. She called on some fellow mothers, and with their help, launched #ToyLikeMe on Facebook and Twitter to call on the global toy industry to start representing the 150 million disabled children worldwide.
We applaud this, though don’t know how we feel about American Girl‘s new diabetic care kit, since childhood diabetes childhood can often be cured with diet and has risen to epidemic proportions in the US.
That said, this is all a very beautiful thing for children who are different.
How to support?
Rebecca of Toy Like Me is calling for donations to turn her social media sensation into an online hub for parents of disabled kids.
