(Courtesy of Beit Issie Shapiro) Just in time for Purim, Israel’s pioneering leader and innovator in the field of disabilities, Beit Issie Shapiro, in partnership with industrial design students from The Holon Institute of Technology, create a first-of-its-kind series of DIY costume video tutorials for Adaptive Costumes, granting access for parents of children with disabilities who use walkers and wheelchairs to create a dream costume for their child that highlights their mobility aid and makes them feel magical.
Children with disabilities around the world who use mobility apparatuses can have a unique Purim costume that highlights their wheelchair or walker thanks to an initiative created in partnership with Israeli disability NGO Beit Issie Shapiro and The Holon Institute of Technology (HIT).
The two organizations have joined together to create a series of do-it- yourself tutorials with easy-to-follow instructions so anyone can create a special costume for a child with disabilities.
The initiative kicks off with four adaptive costume tutorials specially designed for different interests and mobility devices including a stroller, walker, wheelchair and motorized wheelchair. Each tutorial has its own step-by-step video clip, clearly written instructions and open-design patterns to download and print at home. The designs are customizable and can easily be manipulated to meet each child’s dress-up dreams. This is available on Beit Issie Shapiro’s website (beitissie.org.il) and YouTube channel (youtube.com/beitissie).
This concept of DIY-inclusive costume tutorials stemmed from Beit Issie Shapiro and HIT’s joint “Dream Costume” initiative which is in its eighth year running. Industrial design students from the Holon Institute of Technology are paired with a child who uses a mobility aid to bring their costume dreams into reality, allowing children with disabilities to stand out among their peers in a positive way as their wheelchair or walker becomes their greatest asset. This initiative empowers children with disabilities and bolsters their confidence and pride in their mobility device.
“We realized the incredible demand of this initiative and wanted to ensure that every child, in Israel and around the world, can feel like a star in their costumes,” shares Adi Shpigel, director of social impact projects at The Holon Institute of Technology. “We created this tutorial series to bring inclusive design expertise and know-how into everyone’s home in an accessible and affordable way with easy-to-follow instructions to cater to the need and make sure all children can enjoy the holiday. The open-design templates will allow us to reach even further and allow families to benefit and connect through the creativity process.”
Beit Issie Shapiro is Israel’s pioneering leader and innovator in the field of disabilities. The organization’s mission it to create an inclusive society across the globe with equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Innovative projects like this create opportunities for children with disabilities to shine in an inclusive society while, in turn, helping mold the future of inclusive design in Israel and around the world.
Ahmir Lerner, Beit Issie Shapiro executive director, shares: “We are proud to partner with The Holon Institute of Technology for this important project, which helps foster inclusion in the community. By sharing the know-how to create adaptive costumes, and for the first time making it accessible to families around the world, we hope to create true impact in our society and bring Purim joy for people with disabilities.”
