In April 2015, UK journalist Rebecca Atkinson, along with other parents of children with disabilities started the campaign ToyLikeMe to solve the lack of various toys for children with disabilities. They created a Facebook page where everyone was able to post ideas and pictures about what toys for children with disabilities should look like.
Even though the campaign attracted a lot of attention, these parents couldn't rest until their ideas actually became real. Luckily, only 2 weeks after the campaign started, the people who started the campaign got in touch with a company in the UK that designs toys through 3D printing, and the company agreed to create new series of dolls. That's when the first toys for disabled children were produced.
There are around 150 million children with disabilities, and even though the toy industry is worth over $2.9 billion, it has completely failed to create toys that are fitter for them. Until recently, that is. Thanks to this campaign that has taken the Internet by storm, many toy companies have answered this calling and have made toys specifically for children with disabilities.
Soon enough, the ToyLikeMe campaign on Facebook and Twitter finally reached the big companies like Lego, and now there is an entire series of toys for disabled children that have been sold worldwide.
Even after all the success this campaign has had, ToyLikeMe gets on with its task. The organization has followers in over 45 countries and has received donations from over 700 people. The mission of ToyLikeMe is to continuously influence the worldwide toy industry and hopefully make kids with disabilities all around the world feel accepted and appreciated.
