Mom designs tags that highlight hidden disabilities

Holly Bramwell’s son Finley suffers from global developmental delay, hypermobility, epilepsy and is non-verbal. These conditions are challenging by themselves, but particularly in public because the family often found themselves having to explain Finley’s condition to people, to justify some of his behaviors or the fact that at 5-years-old he still used a stroller, as Holly explains: “To look at him, these disabilities may not be plainly obvious and so we are often met with confusing looks when our 5 year old doesn’t respond to people and is sat in a pram!”

These situations were very uncomfortable and so Holly dan an idea: “may be a simple tag that can be understood universally would work?” She created a Special Needs pram tag and started using it when they were out – it was a success! At the airport, simply by showing the tag “the staff could clearly see that assistance was required and swiftly fast tracked us through”, Holly says. And when they visited the zoo, where some of the building requires for stroller to be left outside, Holly says that “we simply showed staff the Special Needs Pram Tag and we were ‘given the nod’ to go straight through with Finley in his pram.“

Very soon, requests started to come from other families who loved the idea of the tags. So, Holly designed more tags, highlighting other condition, and eventually created her own small business – Starkidworks. At their website there are now tags for food allergies, autism, ADHD, visual impairment and many other conditions.

“It’s a way of highlighting a disability that might not necessarily be obvious. It also helps bring up the disability as a conversation starter and means people don’t feel the need to tread carefully. Bringing more awareness to disabilities like Finley’s can help educate those who don’t have contact with people who have similar disabilities”, Holly explains.

More information: https://starkid.works/

Adapted from: https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17954777.mums-business-create...
https://starkid.works/pages/about-us