GE Appliance “Elf-gineers” Adapt Toys For Local Kids With Disabilities

A team of employees at GE Appliances dedicated their time this season to adapt toys for local children with disabilities. Dubbing themselves the “GE Appliances Elf-gineers,” this team of mechanical and electrical engineers came together to transform their air conditioning lab at the company’s Kentucky-based headquarters into an elf workshop, using their engineering expertise to reconfigure more than 100 toys to meet the unique needs of local kids.

For many children with disabilities, toys with buttons that light up, move, or play sounds can be difficult or impossible to use without assistance. Adapted toys—outfitted with special switches and features tailored to various abilities—give these children a chance to play independently. However, these customized toys are often expensive, making them out of reach for many families already facing other costs.

The adapted toys are being distributed this month to several non-profits and schools in Louisville, including Jefferson County Public Schools, the Visually Impaired Preschool Services, and Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies.

 

See also: GE Appliances Teams Up With Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast To Save Fragile Newborns