It started with a train set, a mercury switch, and a young boy whose therapist thought he couldn’t
play with toys.

In 1975 my father, Steven Kanor, walked into a room at United Cerebral Palsy/Long Island and saw a boy sitting in a wheelchair, his head resting on his shoulder. When my dad asked where the toys were, the OT said, “He doesn’t have the motor skills to play with toys, and he can’t lift his head.”

But my father was not interested in what the boy couldn’t do. He was interested in the boy’s potential.

The next morning, he was back. He’d brought a train set, which he’d connected to a mercury switch. The switch, the first capability switch he’d designed, was attached to the boy’s ear. When the boy raised his head, the switch made contact and the train ran around the tracks. After several weeks of playing with this toy, the boy was holding his head up straight, even when the train was not running. My father was elated. Since that day, he never stopped innovating, never stopped trying to make our products better, never stopped designing new devices.

Today, our design team is just as passionate, just as creative, and just as committed to innovation as the man who founded this company. To that end we have taken a giant leap into the 21st Century.

When I first joined Enabling Devices in 2015, our toys and devices were all either vacuum or injection molded. We had considered 3D printing, but the process was too slow and too expensive. As is the case with most technologies, though, the machines quickly became cheaper, faster and better. In the summer of 2020, we bought our first 3D printer. I thought we would just dip our toes into 3D printing. Instead, thanks to the amazing talents and commitment of our production team, we’ve jumped in with both feet.

But what, you might ask, does this mean for you—the end-user, the teacher, the therapist, the parent? The first thing you might notice is that the 3D products are cleaner, more streamlined and more modern looking. But much more importantly, they simply work better. Because of the precision of 3D printing, the process of assembling each product is more consistent, which leads to devices that activate easily, that work flawlessly. Frankly, we think you’re going to love them! Click here for a mini-catalog of all our new 3D printed products.

Best,

Seth Kanor, CEO

The COVID-19 virus pandemic is having global effects and that includes our operations here at Enabling Devices. We are located in Westchester County, New York, where there are a high number of cases. In order to protect the health and safety of our team, we are limiting the number of staff allowed in our offices and manufacturing space. These precautions may delay the processing and shipment of orders.

If you have questions or concerns or an immediate need for a product, please call our CEO Seth Kanor at 914-747-3070 ext. 338 or Donna Devaul at ext. 311. We will be picking up our messages remotely and will return your call as promptly as possible.

Please stay safe and healthy!

Seth Kanor, CEO

This month We are Teachers is featuring an article about our products. Entitled “12 Classroom Supplies You’ll Want for your Special Ed Classroom“, the article highlights iPad accessories, communicators, adapted musical toys and sensory products. Click here to read the article. We Are Teachers is an online community whose mission is to inspire teachers and help them succeed by sharing practical classroom ideas and more.

Enabling Devices (formerly Toys for Special Children) is pleased to announce the launch of a new state-of-the-art website and online catalog. The re-designed, mobile-friendly site is accessible, easy to navigate, and features larger, sharper, multifaceted images of products. The new enablingdevices.com is also chock full of resources and multimedia product information and offers consumers a streamlined approach to selecting and ordering products.

Since 1978, Enabling Devices has been creating and adapting toys, tools, devices and assistive technology for children, teens and adults with a variety of disabilities. From the beginning, the company’s primary mission was meeting the needs of its customers and developing products that enrich their lives. Personalized customer service is emblematic of the company’s peoplecentered approach and Enabling Device’s new website was designed with people in mind.

“In creating our new website, we wanted to feature the people we serve by profiling some of our customers,” says Enabling Devices CEO Seth Kanor. “I wanted the website to show how our products make it possible for people with disabilities to reach their highest potential.”

Enablingdevices.com features clear yet concise product descriptions and online instructional videos that help consumers understand how products work and how they support skill development and learning. Downloadable activity charts and product tips help users to get the most out of the products they buy.

Product comparison charts (also downloadable) help customers identify the products that best meet their needs while online skills charts match products with users based on the skills they seek to develop.

Additionally, enablingdevices.com includes a blog with news and information of interest to members of the disability community, regularly updated lists of the best apps for switch users and people on the autism spectrum, and guidance for creating a sensory space in a home, classroom or office.

“It’s important that we stay close to the people and practitioners who use our products,” says Kanor. “We visit clinics and consult with the therapists who work with people with disabilities so that we can continually improve our products. As always, we welcome customers’ calls and comments, and whenever possible, are happy to provide personalized solutions. With the right tools, people with disabilities are doing great things and finding great joy in their lives. Our mission is to increase their joy as much as possible.”