2023 Holiday Gift Guide for all: Embrace the spirit of inclusion

Thoughtful toys for all ages, especially kids

Children with disabilities love to play, especially with toys suited to their needs. Here are some of our top gifts for the child in your life this holiday season: 

For kids who love cause-and-effect toys

• LinkaAmilas Singing Elmo
• Push Light Colored Puck Lights
• Switch-adapted Polaroid Camera

kids who love sensory toys

Those who love music and sounds

• Tonies
• Yoto
• B Brand Musical Symphony
• Drums
• A keyboard

Thanks to the CVINow team for providing the above recommendations! For more CVI-focused gifts ideas, be sure to read our CVI parent’s guide to the holidays.

For the aspiring chef and food lover

Transform the kitchen into an accessible haven with these thoughtful gifts:

• These Candoable Reusable Braille Labels make containers easy to identify, while tactile bumps can be used to mark appliances and more. 
• You can find braille measuring cups, spoons and cookbooks from the Braille Bookstore’s Kitchen Corner.
• Browse National Braille Press gift selections for ideas like the Stir It Up! Recipes & Techniques for Young Blind Cooks. 
• A practical, yet cool, gift for a person who is visually impaired would definitely be this high contrast and tactile coaster. (We’ve seen this everywhere on social media!) 
• Pair the tactile coaster with a Liquid level indicator so that the person in your life always knows how much is left in their tea or coffee. 
• John Furniss (also known as The Blind Woodsman) is a woodworker who is blind and makes incredible bowls, pots, and more.
• Lake Geneva Coffee Roastery is owned and run by Jeremiah Fox. Because Jeremiah is legally blind, he uses his keen sense of smell, hearing, and taste to create his roast profiles using the assistance of talking timers and tactile points on his machine’s controls so he can adjust the temperature and airflow.
• iGrill 3 is an app-connected thermometer that monitors the doneness of up to four cuts of meat and notifies you once the food has reached the perfect temperature. (Although the digital display on the thermometer itself is not accessible, it can be read using the free iGrill app on a smartphone.)

For the bookworm

Feed their love for reading with inclusive options like:

• Hello, My World: A High-Contrast Board Book helps visual development in newborns and babies. 
• We highly recommend this year’s release, Magic Eyes — a book written by a Perkins parent inspired by her son, Brick who has Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI), the current leading cause of childhood blindness. 
• DK Braille Books are inclusive for young braille readers and the entire family with braille, print, as well as tactile images. You’ll find selections featuring topics such as fun facts, animals, shapes, counting, and transportation. 
• Hayley at Dotty About Braille makes beautiful and bright braille stationery, perfect for lovers of books and all things stationery! Check out her online shop
• Trevor at Inclusive Dinos makes dinosaur stickers that are inclusive and represent a wide range of disabilities. Sometimes, books and stickers go together. Redbubble shop

For the techie

Explore cutting-edge tech options that prioritize accessibility:

• Feelif is a tablet with a special tactile grid for a multi-sensory experience.
• Dot Watch is a smart braille watch for time-telling, call answering, and message reading.

For the fan of winter and holidays

Celebrate their love for winter or specific holidays with these festive ideas:

• Winter Holidays Braille Book List
• Poppit fidget Hanukkah Dreidel Menorah toy set
• Poppit fidget gingerbread man, Christmas tree, and Santa Claus toy set
• Holidays around the world sensory art activities
• Braille dreidel
• Krista at Blind Love Woodburning makes all kinds of decorations and accessories like ornaments, keychains, art pieces, and more!
• High-end, 100% soy-wax candles from Hotel Lobby Candles for a cozy home.