ML Interest Tag: braille

LEGO Just Got More Accessible with a Brand New Way to Build

by Shahrzad Warkentin

LEGO believes brick building should be inclusive for everyone, which is why LEGO Audio and Braille instructions are being introduced.

The idea was inspired by Matthew Shifrin who was born blind and loved to play with LEGO bricks. As a child, he had a friend, Lilya who would painstakingly write down all of the LEGO building steps so that he could upload the written directions into a system that translated them in a Braille reader. For the first time in his life, he was able to build LEGO sets entirely on his own.

“This is extremely important for blind children because there aren’t a lot of places where we can say, ‘Look, Mom and Dad! I built this on my own… I did this,’“ says Shifrin. “For blind children, we don’t have access to what sighted kids are used to. LEGO bricks enable us to learn about our environment, to see the world.”

When Lilya sadly passed away Shifrin decided he wanted to share his experience with others like him. A friend from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology introduced him to the Creative Play Lab at LEGO Group and his wonderful idea was developed into the LEGO Audio and Braille instructions that are being rolled out today.

Available as a free service via the LEGO Audio Instructions website, LEGO builders can now access building directions either by audio instructions on a screen reader or by using a Braille reader. The program is currently in a pilot stage with four LEGO set instructions available including the following sets:

  • 11001 LEGO® Bricks and Ideas LEGO® Classic
  • 41365 LEGO® Friends Emma’s Art Shop
  • 60207 LEGO® City Sky Police Drone Chase
  • 70821 The LEGO® Movie 2™ Emmet and Benny’s ‘Build and Fix’ Workshop!

The pilot phase will last from Aug. 28 to Dec. 31 with plans to roll out additional audio and Braille instructions next year.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

All photos: Courtesy of LEGO Group

 

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Rice Krispies Treats Love Notes Program Expands with Sensory Stickers

by Erica Loop

Last year, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats launched Love Notes for children who are blind or have low vision. The Braille stickers and re-recordable audio boxes gave parents a new way to share the love with their kiddos—in an easily accessible way.

This year Kellogg will expand the Love Notes experience to include children with autism spectrum disorder. In a collab with Autism Speaks, Kellogg’s new sensory Love Notes include heart-shaped stickers that match the space on the Rice Krispies Treats’ writable wrappers.

The new stickers come in different textures and include silk, fleece, faux fur, satin and velour. Kris Bahner, senior vice president of Global Corporate Affairs at Kellogg, said in a press release, “This is a beautiful way to extend our Rice Krispies Treats Love Notes and showcase the many ways to express love and support as kids return to school.” Bahner added, “This cause is very dear to me as a mom of a child with autism. I know firsthand that love and emotions aren’t always easy for children on the spectrum to express and receive—but they need to feel it and share it as much as any other child.”

So how do you get your own sensory Love Notes? Visit Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats Love Notes website here starting Aug. 13 to order your free stickers!

—Erica Loop

Photos: Courtesy of Kellogg

 

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4 Tips to Help Welcome Peers with Disabilities

By Laura Harrison

With the school year ending and summertime around the corner, the days of pool parties and day camps with school friends are almost here. This time of year, however, can be lonely and isolating for some peers, especially those with disabilities, as their differences can cause them to be left out.

Jonas, my son, was born with Peter’s Anomaly, which is a rare disease that caused him to be blind at birth. He was able to gain very low vision after several surgeries, but still requires the use of a walking cane and is currently learning how to read Braille. He is such a sweet and strong kiddo, but something I worry about every day is that he will soon start to notice how he is different from other kids his age.

I have personally felt nervous on numerous occasions navigating the world of disabilities for my own child, so I can absolutely imagine that other parents with children who don’t have disabilities may also feel anxious or have fears about welcoming another child who may have special needs over for a playdate or sleepover. With this understanding and gratitude for parents who are willing to welcome a friend that may be different from their own child, here are a few of my top tips to welcome others who are differently abled into your home:

  1. Include Everyone and Be Accepting: All kids want to feel included and accepted by their peers, especially kids who may already feel a little different than the others because of their disability. When it comes to playdates, birthday parties, or just planning a time to carpool, don’t forget the importance of including everyone! One simple invite may make a huge difference for a child who is often overlooked. It’s also a good reminder of the importance of loving and including others even when they may be different than you.
  2. Encourage Your Child to Ask Questions: In my experience of caring for a visually impaired child, I appreciate it when parents or kids ask questions to me and my husband about why Jonas uses a walking cane. Showing interest and curiosity in a thoughtful manner can also demonstrate to your own kids that it’s okay to ask about someone’s differences in a respectful way, as it ultimately allows them to be more considerate of the other child’s circumstances and needs.
  3. Set a Good Example for Your Kids: Always remember that your kids are consistently observing you and your actions, especially towards something they are not as familiar with. As a parent, if you act nervous or uncomfortable around peers with disabilities, that may signal to your child that they should act the same way. Lead by example!
  4. Don’t Complicate a Disability to Your Child: As a momma to a child with disabilities, don’t feel like you have to overly complicate trying to explain why a child may be different from the others. From my experience, once kids are able to ask questions about Jonas and why he doesn’t see things like most of us do, they’re able to process it in their own way and move on! Remind yourself that kids are kids, and the ‘why’ can be simple.

Most importantly, remember the value and impact of caring and loving others around you, with or without disabilities. The more your children see you including and loving others of all shapes and sizes, the more likely they will be to treat their peers the same way.  

Laura, co-founder and COO of Jonas Paul Eyewear, started the brand with her husband shortly after their first child, Jonas, was born with a rare-eye condition. From there, Jonas Paul Eyewear was created with the mission of creating stylish eyewear and providing sight to children in need with every purchase.

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Just Opened: Magical Bridge Playground

by bonggamom

The Bay Area is home to some of the best playgrounds in the country, but children with special needs haven’t always been able to share in the fun … until now. Palo Alto’s brand new all-inclusive Magical Bridge Playground goes way beyond wheelchair ramps: think wheelchair-accessible treehouses, signs in braille, bucket swings, and wide slides. It’s truly a place where children of all abilities can play side by side.


Photo Credit: Bonggamom on Google+

Building Bridges: The Story Behind the Playground
The Magical Bridge Playground is the brainchild of Palo Alto parent Olenka Villareal. Her daughter Ava was born with developmental challenges, and Olenka quickly realized there were no places where she could take Ava to play. Olenka envisioned a playground where kids of any ability could have fun and feel included. When she couldn’t find one, she set out to create her own.

It took 6 years and over $3 million to make Olenka’s vision a reality, but the result is nothing short of magical: the first truly inclusive playground in the Bay Area. The Magical Bridge Playground is a place so accessible that children with varying disabilities can play, and so cool that typically developing children want to join in the fun.

Fun for Everyone
The smiles begin as soon as you enter the playground area: Sensors built into the main entrance wall trigger a series of soothing sounds as you cross the threshold. The playground has everything little ones need for hours of swinging, sliding, spinning, climbing, and pretending. Bucket swings let groups of children swing together, and spinning coocoons will make kids dizzy with happiness. A two-story play house is set among the trees, and a swinging bridge leads young adventurers to a slide hill, with multiple paths to the bottom. There’s even a place for the littlest tots, with a mini play structure and a set of musical bells.


Photo credit: Magical Bridge Playground

On Top of the World
The playground’s piece de resistance, a giant two-story play house, was designed by local artist Barbara Butler. Inspired by her own free-range childhood, Barbara set out to create a magical space filled with nooks and crannies for kids to escape to. Colorful accents, large windows, and a simple floor plan help visually impaired individuals navigate throughout. The second floor looks out onto a stage area, where budding performers can sing or act their hearts out. Both floors are wheelchair accessible, so kids and adults in wheelchairs can enjoy the sensation of living in the treetops. Even the swinging bridge leading to the slide hill is wheelchair accessible.


Photo credit: Magical Bridge Playground on Flickr, Bonggamom on Google+

Music to Our Ears
Kids of all ages are sure to enjoy the playground’s Light Harp, a 20-foot arch whose “harp strings” are actually invisible laser beams spanning the top of the arch to the playground floor. Movement across the beams triggers soothing, musical sounds; wave your hands hands, arms, legs across the arch, or use your entire body to create sweet music.


Photo credit: Magical Bridge Playground on Facebook

Thoughtful Touches
Magical Bridge Playground is designed to allow individuals—children, teens, and adults—with disabilities to access each and every attraction. Among the inclusive features: signs in braille, bucket swings for individuals with limited upper body strength, slides with rollers for individuals with limited mobility, wheelchair-accessible teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds, wide pathways, nooks and quiet areas for overstimulated kids, lots of hand railings, and trees for shade. One of our favorite features is a slide with an extra-wide landing area, so that kids who need a moment to get back up (or into their wheelchair) can scoot over and let the next kid in line slide down.


Photo credit: Magical Bridge Playground on Facebook

Good to know
The closest parking is located at the adjacent Abilities United center, a non profit that supports children and adults with disabilities. Additional parking is located at the Mitchell Park Library, and restrooms are located across the bridge at the Mitchell Park Playground. The closest snack bar is Ada’s Cafe at the Mitchell Park Library; in addition, an Ada’s Cafe snack cart, staffed by disabled individuals with the help of Abilities United volunteers, will make its way to Magical Bridge once a day to sell their goodies.

Magical Bridge Playground
Mitchell Park
600 E. Meadow Dr.
Palo Alto, Ca
650-463-4900
magicalbridge.org

Have you been to Magical Bridge Playground yet? What was your favorite feature?

—Ana Picazo

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