PlayAbility Redefines Special Needs Play
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Manufacturer and Distributor Tackles the Specialty Toy Industry
by Magdalene Michalik
lay is one of the essential foundations of development in all chil- without eyes. According to Small, the friend’s son was frustrated when he dren. With toys, kids learn how to socially interact, develop emo- would drop a normal, everyday ball because he couldn’t hear where it tional intelligence, define motor skills, increase physical went and couldn’t grab it easily. “He needed a ball with no batteries, had awareness, and support skills learned in the classroom. For kids with spe- sound, and was easy to grab,” says Small. This scenario inspired Fraze to cial needs, the challenges they face may discourage or avert them from develop the Rib It Ball, which is a sleeve that goes on a beach-sized ball. having fun while playing with traditional toys. PlayAbility Toys, a spe- It has vibrant colors, ribs all the way around, and a crinkly material inside cialty manufacturer and retailer, designs and produces products for chil- of it—so when it drops, it doesn’t roll very far. According to Small, this dren in the special needs community to alleviate this issue. product has been a massive success in the visually impaired community. Twelve years since its inception, the company’s mission still Fraze saw the demand for this product and continued to produce these holds strong, and consumers both with and without special types of toys. needs are interested in what PlayAbility has to offer. The company relocated to Tuscon, Ariz. in 2009, turned into According to Adam Small, CEO of PlayAbility Toys, PlayAbility Toys, and got involved with local investment group there is a lot of evidence that suggests sensory toys that enDesert Angels. gage sight, sound, and touch at a young age help with cog“A number of our shareholders are really big into social nitive development. enterprise, which is essentially for-profit businesses that “If your 1 year old is playing with a Buddy Dog, a have a philanthropic goal. We make toys, but we make toy that has bumps, crinkles, and vibrates when you pull toys specifically for children who need a little bit of on its tail, all these little features help their synapses and extra in those toys,” Small explains. brain connect,” says Small. “This means their minds enPlayAbility Toys is unique in that it is both a mangage more with this toy than they would with just an ufacturer and distributor. Once the toys are manufaceveryday toy. Our toys are meant for the special needs tured, they are stored in a warehouse in Tucson. They community, but they’re also showing a lot of success in the are then distributed through the company’s retail website, as well as various wholesalers that it works with. general community because of all the qualities we put into The company’s website allows customers to browse them.” through its toys by special need or by toy category. The physPlayAbility Toys originally started as Build ’n Bud in ical challenges category includes Cerebral Palsy, Down syn2002. The founder and lead engineer, Bud Fraze, was apdrome, Muscular Dystrophy, Muscular Sclerosis, paralysis, proached by a friend whose son was born with Bilateral Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spina Bifida, and traumatic Anophthalmia. This disease causes a child to be born Boy with Buddy Dog
SPECIALTY TOYS & GIFTS
S12
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014