A mother creates inclusive dolls so children with disabilities feel accepted

Clare Tawell is a mother who lives in the United Kingdom and, in 2017, she started to create unique dolls with hearing aids for her daughter who was born deaf, because, at that time, there were no toys representing her little one. That way, she got her hands dirty and opened “BrightEars”, which today offers accessories and collections aimed at girls and boys with hearing and visual impairments, among others.

O awesome.club did an exclusive interview with Clare to talk more about the importance of creating dolls like the ones in her business, promoting inclusion through play.

No stores sold or made dolls that looked like Tilly—that’s the name of Clare’s daughter. This really bothered the mother, as the lack of interest in creating toys for children with disabilities was a way of ignoring them. “It was like she didn’t matter as she didn’t fit into what society considers ‘normal’; so why bother to acknowledge it?”, she said.

Clare didn’t have time to wait for the toy she and her four-year-old daughter needed to be made. That’s how she designed her first doll. “It was a little weird! But he had the same hearing aids as Tilly. When my daughter saw her, she completely fell in love with her,” she recalled.

Then mothers of other children asked if Clare could make dolls for them. The young woman, who works as a technologist, said yes and started using her free time to modify dolls and sell them to those families who felt in the same situation as her.

The name of their online store, “BrightEars,” came about because she and Tilly decorate the dolls’ hearing aids with prints ranging from unicorns to dinosaurs. “Their devices are designed to be essentially colorful and eye-catching. They are part of my daughter and I don’t want her to be ashamed of them or feel like she has to hide them. She is proudly deaf,” she added.

Over time, the models multiplied, promoting empowerment and inclusion through play. Clare explains that the bullying it often comes from ignorance and can only be overcome through knowledge.

Clare continues to work at her company, which basically consists of her dining room table. So far, she has made approximately 3,000 dolls.

Although the operation has grown, its main objective remains the same as when it started: “’Shout’ that we are not going to hide with our ‘differences’, that we are here, we exist, we have the right to recognition and we are proud of who we are! ”

Do you think the toy industry is inclusive enough? Do you know more ideas and projects like this? Which? We would love to know more about them!