Toys for kids with disabilities cost more. A Centre County startup is trying to change that

Earlier this week, Joey McCulloch and the rest of the AbleRacers team were driving from Centre County to a conference in Florida to spread the news about their new venture adapting toys for children with disabilities.

The premise behind AbleRacers is actually pretty simple. People buy toys and have them shipped to McCulloch, who installs a large switch or button in a location that suits a child’s mobility and send it back.

There’s not exactly a proprietary formula at play here. McCulloch and his family refined their skills while helping the Easterseals adapt old toys in Philadelphia.

“We didn’t really need engineers for anything. You open up the toy, there’s a button with a few contact points, you solder your wire to it and that’s it. There’s no real engineering,” McCulloch said.

Simple is good. Simple is what he was striving for when he launched AbleRacers. Simple keeps costs down.

To hear McCulloch tell it, the average adapted toy bought straight off of the shelf is not cheap. His way — no headquarters, no engineers on the payroll — lends itself to a lean efficiency and a low overhead.

“We’re doing everything in-shop, I’m doing everything right now,” said McCulloch, who lives in Howard.

By “everything” he means the full gamut, from those big electric toy cars you might have seen kids driving through the streets of your neighborhood right on down to a talking Elmo doll.

Each can be activated with a standard assistive technology switch. The cars also come with a remote for chaperones so that they can shut the vehicle down from a distance if need be. Padding can be installed along the interior for protection and support.

For kids — or really anybody getting behind the wheel of their first car — the appeal is in the freedom of cruising down the road, wind in your hair, going 5, maybe even 6 mph.

“The more kids do things independently and create inclusive play, the better,” McCulloch said.

In December, the company received the first prize in Bellefonte SpringBoard’s Startup Challenge, and was awarded $3,000 to execute a marketing plan.

Orders can be placed on the AbleRacers’ website, www.ableracers.com. McCulloch is working on a national level now but would eventually like to stretch his efforts into other countries. Once business goes up, costs can continue to go down.

“Adapted toys should not cost any more than a regular toy. That’s my goal. These things should cost just as much as any other regular toy,” McCulloch said.

This story was originally published February 1, 2019 at 12:25 PM.