SPARK-ing Inclusive Play with Kid-Maker Splint Workshops

SPARKing Inclusive Play

“If we want to live in a world without disability stigma and we want to normalize a different experience, we need to start early. And starting early includes having play, toys, dolls and accessibility aids that are part of a child's learning, whether they have a disability or not,” says Holland Bloorview’s Senior Bioethicist, Dolly Menna-Dack.  

Dolly applied for the SPARK fund to support her longtime idea of running a splint making workshop for Holland Bloorview kids that use orthoses or prosthetic devices. As a bioethicist, Dolly believes that playing with toys that reflect disability is one way we can approach early education about disability and inclusion. “When disability is represented in toys, it’s normalized,” she said. Giving kids an opportunity to learn about the devices, how they are made, and used, empowers them to explore through play.

This winter, Dolly partnered with John Kooy, Collaborative Practice Leader, Certified Orthotist from the O&P department to hold a splint-making workshop for Holland Bloorview clients. Participating clients got to make splints for their dolls and invite a friend or sibling to do the same.  “It gives the kids that are participating in this workshop a chance to share part of their world with a good friend or with a sibling,” explained Dolly, emphasizing the importance of the shared experience.

A Kid-Maker Workshop.

During the workshop participants became ‘prosthetists in-training’ for their dolls. The participants could choose to bring their own toys from home or select a new toy from the Foundation’s toy drive to create a splint for. They then learned about different steps to make the device like sizing, moulding, and velcro - truly each step that would happen in real life. And they had a blast!

Janice was one of the ‘kid-makers’ who participated in the workshop. She chose to experiment with her favourite stuffed animal, Zumi. Janice loves taking care of him and was excited to be able to create a matching ankle foot orthosis (AFO) for Zumi.

“It was important for me to participate in the workshop because if anyone I know gets hurt, I want to be able to help them and teach them about AFOs. I want to be able to teach them the process so they can understand how they work, and they aren’t scared. Then they can learn to help others as well. Also, I had AFOs on both legs and I wanted to learn more about the process of how they were made,” shared Janice.

In the workshop kids were joined by specialists, from occupational therapists to prosthetists from around Holland Bloorview to teach them about the other components of using orthotics and prosthetics.

“It was educational, and it taught everyone what there was to learn about AFOs, what they are, how they help. I also had fun learning how to make AFOs, picking the colour combos, watching the AFO making device heat up the material,” said Janice. “It was cool to see it get soft and hot in the device so it could be shaped onto my toys foot and then harden into the shape we made.”

The Power of Inclusive Play

It’s workshops like these that distinctly showcase the value of representation and normalizing disability. For Dolly, at the heart of the workshop is that kids have two important things to take back to their community: their toy and their new understanding of how to talk about disability with their peers and normalize orthotics and prosthetics in play.

This workshop is a true game-changer. “I just want to say thank you so much to the donors for making it possible.” Dolly explains that “these projects and these ideas are ‘aha moments’ that staff at the hospital have and just would not have a way to action without the generosity of the donors that support us. So, from the dolls who will be getting the splints they need, thank you on their behalf as well.”