Gifts for Young Children
Gifts for the holidays bring joy to children and can, at the same time, “enhance your little one’s tactile and other sensory skills” year round. The Braille Institute provides recommendations for young children who are blind or visually impaired. Wikki Stix, for example, are bendable and reusable wax sticks that can add texture to books or be used to create tactile drawings, maps, shapes, and more. Another offering, Suction Kupz, fosters the development of fine motor skills, spatial reasoning, and creativity. The SmartNoggin NogginStik Developmental Light-Up Rattle lights up in three colors and has a tactile feature, with bumps on its stem. For more information on these and other gift possibilities, including how to purchase and prices, read about Perfect Holiday Gifts for Young Child with Visual Impairment.
Guides to Gifts That Are Practical, Healthy, and Fun
A “Holiday Gift Guide” from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) provides a wide variety of offerings, from a Beeper Box that audibly identifies landmarks to a motion-detecting alert system to talking scales, voice-controlled home assistants, and traditional games available with added accessibility featues, to name a few. Those traveling with a guide dog who wish to carry a cane for emergencies can check out The Adaptations Store of the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind for options, such as a lightweight, telescoping cane and a carbon fiber folding cane. These and other creative gift offerings are covered in two AFB articles: Holiday Gift Guide: Unique and Affordable Gifts for People with Visual Impairments and More Holiday Gift Ideas for People with Visual Impairments.
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) provides suggestions for children and adults among their “12 Gift Ideas for This Holiday Season.” The first “and most important” idea they offer is to let gift-givers know that “the blind people in your life probably enjoy the same gifts that you do.” Everyone appreciates a warm sweater, fun toys, a good e-book, and other useful items. Among the specific suggestions are a Letter from Santa, which can be sent in Braille if the request is submitted to NFB by December 17. Other recommendations include the Orbit Reader 20 refreshable Braille display, text reader and notetaker, the InTACT Sketchpad interactive tactile drawing tool, and PenFriend2 Voice Labeling System. For the full list and descriptions, check out 12 Gift Ideas for This Holiday Season.
