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Spirally dumbs down playground equipment for children with disabilities

Trying to understand what kind of activities would be interesting for children with special needs is very difficult. And that is why educators and caretakers working with such children get paid big bucks for their jobs and are almost revered for their saintly work. However, what most adults fail to see is that children with lower limb disability do not have the same needs as children suffering from developmental difficulties. However, designers that are looking to make toys for disabled children tend to think more along the lines of “marketing and moolah” more than creating a product that would actually be useful. The Spirally by designer Eli Capello is one such invention that is nothing more than a large LED-infused cone with rotating parts that can be revolved.

Spirally play device for disabled children

With a stainless steel frame and coated polyester sheet cover, the giant cone basically blinks, twinkles and possibly even makes a few sounds when its rotating parts are touched by kids. Of course, one would have to imagine a toddler being able to maneuver himself dexterously on a wheelchair to find this toy entertaining. The other more obvious flaw in the product is that the installation is conical in shape i.e., a kid in a wheelchair would have to reach forward to be able to interact with the rotating parts while balancing his wheelchair (and moving it forward with one hand!) near the larger base of the cone itself. As a playground installation, the spirally makes no sense being dangerous and is basically useless for kids who are old enough to wheel themselves around the playground.

Source:Eli Capello

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