How providing tote bags with small objects can increase accessibility on your premises

Ear Defenders – These are great for disabled people of all ages with sensory process issues that make them sensitive to sound; even if your site is not particularly loud for a non-disabled person, the experience of particular types of sounds on your site might be uncomfortable for certain people. So having the capacity to provide ear defenders is always useful, regardless of whether noise levels on your premises are particularly high.

Bean Bags / Fidget Toys – Used as a form of pressure therapy, bean bags, and fidget toys allow people to control their responses to physical stimuli, which can help calm their nervous systems and reduce anxiety. For children, they are tactile and encourage touch exploration, making them a standard in many sensory bags. For adults, they help relax people in stressful or overstimulating environments.

Communication Cards – These are particularly useful in special education settings, clinics, and anywhere children are likely to be. When struggling to verbalise their needs, communication cards act as a useful stand-in for verbal expression – allowing adults to understand exactly how a child is feeling, and encouraging emotional expression.

Okay/Not Okay Bracelets  – Another useful communication item, providing different types of silicone bracelets (which can be identified by colour and/or text) are handy for disabled people attempting to communicate their mental well-being at any given moment. As a bonus, they can be used to promote mental health awareness in the same way as a Hidden Disability sunflower lanyard to the world around the wearer.