Part of the holiday season's magic is the excitement many kids experience when they look under the tree and find a bright-colored package with their name on it—it's one of my favorite things.
But for parents of kids with disabilities, finding adapted toys their children can play with is often difficult and expensive. These are commercially available toys modified to be more accessible for children with limited motor skills. For example, switch-adapted toys are rewired and connected to a larger button or switch that's easier to press.
Most Read on IEN:
These toys are costly for parents—a talking Bluey that retails for $15 is rewired and sold for $70, and a $10 bubble machine is resold for more than $50. As a result, many children with disabilities don't have their own toys, or parents take a flyer on toys their kids might not interact with. It's unfortunate because, given the right fit, these toys can empower these kids to play independently.
Natalie Lyons-Donaway is a principal manufacturing quality engineer at GE Appliances, a Haier company. Her daughter is a speech-language pathologist who was interested in adapting toys. Until her daughter brought it up, Lyons-Donaway didn't know what a switch adaptable toy was.
While she didn't know anything about the toys, she was part of an engineering team that specialized in taking things apart, making modifications and putting them back together.
So, Lyons-Donaway and a team of engineers turned an air conditioning lab at GE Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky, into a workshop. Internally, they were known as the "GE Appliances Elf-gineers" and they built an assembly line where they dedicated their time to adapt about 125 toys for children with disabilities.
The team held a toy drive and family, friends and co-workers donated about 125 toys that 26 employees spent about 90 volunteer hours re-Elf-gineering.
The Elf-gineers had a quality check, where they made sure each toy worked before it was sent to an electronics engineer to test the control board and hook up the adapter. Then, it was sent back for final assembly. For the engineers, it wasn't just a job but a chance to make a difference.
After the Elf-gineers finished their work and the workshop turned back into an air conditioning lab, the toys were sent to area non-profits and schools to light up the lives of children and families this holiday season.
Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
WEBVTT
X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0
00:00.009 --> 00:02.930
Part of the holiday season's magic is the
excitement.
00:02.940 --> 00:07.719
Many kids experience when they look under the
tree and find a bright colored package with
00:07.730 --> 00:10.550
their name on it.
It's one of my favorite things.
00:10.560 --> 00:15.829
But for parents of kids with disabilities,
finding adapted toys their Children can play
00:15.840 --> 00:21.780
with is often difficult and expensive.
These are commercially available toys modified
00:21.790 --> 00:26.219
to be more accessible for Children with
disabilities or limited motor skill.
00:26.545 --> 00:32.575
For example, switch adapted toys are rewired
and connected to a larger button or switch
00:32.595 --> 00:36.735
that's easier to press.
These toys are costly for parents.
00:36.875 --> 00:43.694
For example, a talking bluey that retails for
$15 is rewired and sold for 70
00:44.264 --> 00:47.854
a $10 bubble machine is resold for more than 50.
00:48.310 --> 00:54.779
As a result, many Children with disabilities
don't have their own toys or parents take a
00:54.790 --> 00:57.930
flyer on toys, their kids might not even
interact with.
00:58.409 --> 01:04.830
It's unfortunate because given the right fit
these toys can empower these kids to play
01:04.839 --> 01:08.160
independently.
Natalie Lyons Donaway is a principal
01:08.169 --> 01:12.690
manufacturing quality engineer at GE Appliances.
A hair company.
01:12.919 --> 01:19.629
Her daughter is a speech language pathologist
who is interested in adapting toys until her
01:19.639 --> 01:23.370
daughter brought it up.
Lyons Donaway didn't know what a switch
01:23.389 --> 01:28.825
adaptable toy was and it admittedly until this
story came across my desk,
01:28.956 --> 01:32.456
I didn't know it either while she didn't know
anything about the toys,
01:32.466 --> 01:37.335
she was part of an engineering team that
specialized in taking things apart,
01:37.346 --> 01:40.606
making modifications and putting them back
together again.
01:40.706 --> 01:46.286
So, Lyons Donaway and a team of engineers
turned an air conditioning lab at GE Appliance
01:46.295 --> 01:50.666
Park in Louisville, Kentucky into a workshop
internally.
01:50.865 --> 01:57.681
They were known as the Quote GE appliances, Elf
Jeers and they built an assembly
01:57.692 --> 02:03.092
line where they dedicated their time to adapt
more than 100 toys for Children with
02:03.101 --> 02:06.652
disabilities.
The team held a toy drive and family friends
02:06.662 --> 02:13.222
and coworkers donated about 125 toys that 26
employees spent about 90
02:13.231 --> 02:16.742
volunteer hours.
Re elf engineering.
02:21.210 --> 02:26.100
The engineers had a quality check where they
made sure each toy actually worked before it
02:26.110 --> 02:31.020
was sent to an electronics engineer to test the
control board and hook up the adapter.
02:31.130 --> 02:34.839
Then it was sent back for final assembly for
the engineers.
02:34.850 --> 02:39.949
It wasn't just a job but a chance to make a
difference after the Elf engineers finished
02:39.960 --> 02:43.820
their work and the workshop turned back into an
air conditioning lab.
02:44.009 --> 02:49.639
The toys were sent to area nonprofits and
schools to light up the lives of Children and
02:49.649 --> 02:53.119
families.
This holiday season, I'm David Manti.
02:53.130 --> 02:54.679
This is manufacturing now
