A bomb squad in St. Charles hardwired Easter eggs to make a chirping sound so children with special needs would be able to participate in an egg hunt for the first time. (Care of Roberto Rodriguez of St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
I love this story.. and idea. What a great event for visually impaired kids/people. I find it very inspiring.
The St. Charles County bomb squad in Missouri recently used their tactical skills to tackle a new challenge. The team used its electronics background to make chirping Easter eggs that enabled visually impaired children, children with autism, and children with mobility challenges to participate in an Easter egg hunt for the first time.
Although Easter has its roots in the biblical story, many adults today celebrate the day with tons of sweets and candy. In fact, a recent survey revealed Americans spend more on candy for Easter than Halloween. Americans are projected to spend $2.4 billion this year on Easter alone, but children with disabilities are rarely able to participate in the fun. The St. Charles County bomb squad wanted to change that.
Corporal Steve Case is the bomb squad commander. In a recent interview with NPR he revealed he has an 18-year-old son with autism, and the drive to create the event for special needs kids was a personal one. The team realized that the challenge for kids with disabilities lies in their inability to see the eggs, or to more easily discern what they’re looking for. The team thought if it could make the eggs chirp, the kids could have a shot at finding the eggs; and it worked.
The squad making the chirping eggs. I wish they shared their design.... (via Fox2News)
The team essentially hid beepers inside of plastic Easter egg shells. The eggs chirped continuously until the children found an egg, and their electronic one was swapped for one filled with candy or toys. The eggs had a fairly simple design, with a rigged on/off switch along the side and a battery stashed away in the interior. Case said while steady hands and an understanding of electronics comes with the territory of bomb deactivation, making the eggs function was still challenging for the team.
Still, Case would agree the payoff was well worth the effort. This year’s hunt was one of the first Case had the chance to witness. He told NPR he knows what it’s like to be excluded from events due to a child’s disability. He hopes the initiative becomes an annual one.
The team ran several egg hunts for children with different kinds of disabilities – vision impairment, mobility challenges, and autism. One parent told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch her son’s face lit up when he found a chirping egg – perhaps one of the first times he’s been able to participate in a community egg hunt due to autism. For Case, that makes it all worthwhile.
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