For young children, it wouldn’t be Easter without an egg hunt. Which is why one mum decided to go the extra mile to ensure her daughter, who is blind, could take part in the annual tradition.
Magdalena Shaw, from Sunderland, has crafted accessible solutions for her five-year-old Ruby, including a beeping egg that will allow her to locate her finds by sound rather than sight.
Comprising of a battery, a battery clip, and a switch-activated beeper to emit noise, the eggs – which are a “game-changer” at Easter for the young family – cost about £11 online.
When Ruby, who has a degenerative eye condition that causes vision loss, finds the hidden beeping egg, she is allowed to exchange it for a yummy chocolate egg by her family.
Magdalena told the Express: “As a parent, I feel like it’s crucial for Ruby to grow up in an environment where she feels accepted, respected, and valued for who she is. Which is why inclusion holds immense importance in my life.”
“During celebrations like Easter, there are many activities like Easter egg hunts and Easter crafts that take place at homes, schools, and businesses etc.
“Often these are not fully accessible for everyone attending which can be disheartening, as making things inclusive doesn’t have to be complicated.”
Unsure who she could turn to, she reached out to charity Guide Dogs to ask for some more support. It told her about its My Time to Play sessions, which allow children with a vision impairment to develop a broad range of skills through play.
Magdalena, who is a full-time carer for Ruby and a computer and IT student, added: “Being a parent of a child with a visual impairment has taught me that it’s okay to reach out to charities like Guide Dogs for advice about everything from education to home life.”
The dedicated mum has used everything she’s learnt so far to help create an inclusive Easter for Ruby, with a tactile map, high-contrast-coloured eggs, and lots of different sounds and textures that will stimulate Ruby.
Easter isn’t just about the Easter Egg hunt though, and the family have been doing lots of baking and reading too, she said.
Ruby even got the chance to meet and cuddle an adorable fluffy baby chick, which Magdalena said her daughter was “overjoyed” about.
Ruby was diagnosed with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), which affects about one in 80,000 people, at nine months old.
She started to have wobbling eyes, initially thought to be a need for glasses, so it was a shock for her family to discover the diagnosis.
The disease varies so widely that her family do not know how much vision she will have, and for how long.
She added: “You don’t know how much is going to change and when it’s going to change.
“You don’t know how much time you have so we want to take every day and try to make the most of it.”
This inclusive initiative and the tips provided are inspired by the ongoing efforts of Guide Dogs to support individuals with visual impairments.
Kerry Kernan, head of children, young people and families at Guide Dogs, said: “At Guide Dogs, we believe all children should be able to fully participate in celebrations such as Easter.
“Our team work hard to make this happen by supporting families such as Ruby’s every day.
“Ruby enjoying the excitement of an Easter egg hunt in an inclusive way demonstrates the importance of accessibility and living a full, independent life without ever being held back by sight loss.
“Guide Dogs is well known for our life-changing dogs, but for parents like Magdalena our children’s services are essential in ensuring children with a visual impairment don’t miss out on those all-important childhood memories.”
The beeping egg was created by David Hyche – a father to Rachel, who is blind, and an agent with the American Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in the US.
Find out more at www.guidedogs.org.uk.
