MERU is a UK charity that creates and provides assistive products for disabled children in areas of unmet need.

One of the Charity’s offerings is a range of popular, high street toys that have been specially adapted to operate with access switches like a Buddy Button or Jellybean switch.  Toys like the new jumping, singing Tigger the tiger or the friendly Winnie the Pooh bear can encourage children to develop the necessary motor skills for more advanced switch control and help to establish an understanding of cause and effect. The MERU switch-adapted toy range includes a wide variety of age appropriate toys and well-loved characters, including multiplayer toys such as Scalextric car racing which allow children to play alongside siblings or other family members.  

MERU make these pre-adapted toys available on their website, and also offer a unique

service where families can send in up to 3 of their own battery-operated toys to be adapted for free by MERU’s volunteers.  To take advantage of this service, head to MERU’s website and follow the links to the Toy Adaptation Service.  The charity asks for £8 to cover return postage of the toys with a courier.

In addition to toys MERU also makes a range of switches and mounting solutions such as the popular Flexzi products to hold iPads, switches and cameras.  The Flexzi range now includes a special fitting to enable an Xbox adaptive controller to be positioned for optimum user access.  Flexzis can be attached to wheelchairs, desks and bed frames and can be adjusted without tools, making them a great, flexible option for the mounting and positioning of lightweight devices.

To learn more about MERU’s services and shop the full range of MERU switch adapted toys and other specialist products, follow the link below to MERU’s website.

www.meru.org.uk