A Growing Needs Niche

Rokenbok, a successful remote control building toy manufacturer, was one of the first manufacturers to redesign a toy already on the shelf to meet special needs.

According to the number of people served by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, approximately seven million children have special needs, representing more than $3.5 billion each year in toy purchases. Current data shows those numbers are growing.

The Arc, a non-profit organization advocating for persons with disabilities, has plenty to say to retailers and manufacturers, according to director of communications, Chris Privett. “We remind retailers that children with special needs is an audience that cannot be ignored. These families have an impact.” Privett reports that it is estimated that more than 20% of Americans have some special need or disability. “Just from a pure dollars and cents standpoint, it makes sense. Beyond that, it is the right thing to do.”

It may sound like a specialty store personal service, but Toys “R” Us is in their 11^th year of publishing “Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids,” written by the National Lekotek Center, a leading authority on play for children with disabilities. The publication is available free at Toys “R” Us stores nationwide. The guide breaks toys down into 11 developmental categories and offers shoppers a “Top Ten Tips” list when shopping for children with special needs.

The guide uses Lekotek’s AblePlay rating system, developed and launched last summer, to detail how each listed toy develops different skills and meets specific needs. It evaluates toys in four categories — sensory, physical, cognitive and communicative — and allows users to search for products accordingly.

Diana Nielander, Lekotek executive director, believes retailers and manufacturers would be foolish not to take the special needs segment seriously. “Beyond the top three players on either side, retail and manufacturing, it is very competitive and this is an enormous value added service.”

The free guide, available on the AblePlay Web site, can serve retailers too. Toy descriptions of items can be kept in a binder as an excellent training tool for staff. As long as information is attributed to AblePlay, a retailer can use the fliers on aisle displays, guiding parents and grandparents to toys that meet the needs their child is developing.

Several manufacturers have noticed the value of being included in the guide. Marketing an old game from Taiwan, Lonpos, to the United States, Mic-O-Mic America (ToyShow) president, Tony Cross, took Lekotek up on their offer to have the game evaluated and received high ratings. Though the game was never marketed for children with special needs in Taiwan, it has won several awards and accolades for the cognitive skills the toy enhances in children with special needs since it was introduced this October in the United States.

Nancy Poffenberger at FunPublishing (ToyDirectory) said her color-coded piano helps young children play familiar songs very easily and has been a great hit with special education teachers, although that was not the original intent. FunPublishing has even developed a special page on its site for children with special needs, complete with educator testimonials.

Rokenbok, a successful remote control building toy manufacturer, was one of the first manufacturers to redesign a toy already on the shelf to meet special needs. They used more twist and push actions in a specially designed remote that was distributed free to several hundred sites serving children with special needs. Rokenbok partnered with Lekotek in this Project Toy Innovation, which was funded by the San Diego Foundation.

Nielander also told TDmonthly that the retail world has been focused on the growing Latino market in this country, which is estimated at around 13 percent. In the same magnitude, seven million children with special needs comprise 13 percent of the children in this country, and growing. The toy industry may have much to learn about serving this market and much to profit by it.