Purim is the most joyful holiday, a time when children’s imaginations come alive through costumes. This year, children in Israel are navigating the realities of war, running in and out of bomb shelters and living with uncertainty and fear. Families are determined to preserve the joy of the holiday and ensure their children still celebrate and wear their costumes.
For children with disabilities, dressing up adds another challenge: their costume must work with a wheelchair or walker while still making them feel confident, included and celebrated. Through creativity and inclusive design, these challenges are transformed into moments of joy, allowing every child to shine this Purim.
For more than a decade, each Purim, Israeli disabilities NGO Beit Issie Shapiro has partnered with industrial design students from the Holon Institute of Technology to help fulfill the Purim dreams of children with disabilities who use wheelchairs and walkers, designing dream costumes that incorporate their mobility aids instead of hiding them.
This allows children with disabilities to stand out among their peers in a positive way, as their wheelchair or walker becomes their greatest asset. This initiative empowers children with disabilities and boosts their confidence and pride in their mobility devices.
This initiative was born out of a need identified in the community: Children with disabilities who use wheelchairs or walkers would have their costumes hidden by their mobility devices. But those involved realized that wheelchairs and walkers can elevate a costume and make it one-of-a-kind. These devices can become part of the costume. For example, a wheelchair can become a rocket ship or a truck, and a walker can become a soccer goal or a subway car.
Beit Issie Shapiro is Israel’s pioneering leader and innovator in the field of disabilities. The organization’s mission is to create an inclusive society across the globe with equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Innovative projects like this creates opportunity for children with disabilities to shine in an inclusive society while in turn, helping mold the design future in Israel.
“Especially in these challenging days in Israel, continuing this Purim tradition feels more important than ever,” shared executive director Ahmir Lerner of Beit Issie Shapiro. “Our children and families have faced so much over the last two and a half years, and they deserve moments of pure joy. These custom-designed costumes don’t just make dreams come true—they celebrate each child’s uniqueness and show how inclusion, creativity and community can bring light and possibility even in uncertain times.”
Prof. Eduard Yakubov, president of the Holon Institute of Technology, added: “As every year, we are proud to contribute to this collaborative project with Beit Issie Shapiro. More than 60 students dedicate their time, talent and hearts, especially during the busiest period of the academic year, to make these dreams come true. This project is a clear example of how creativity and design can drive real social impact and empower children to thrive.”
Over the years, the project has been adopted by other organizations across Israel. Lerner further said: “We are thrilled this project has such a positive impact on society and has expanded. In true Beit Issie Shapiro fashion, we are able to guide and mentor others and can maximize our reach and help more children with disabilities experience such joy—which is exactly what we all need during these trying days.”
