Let's make toy libraries accessible to all families

Now taking expression of interest for TLA focus groups.

If you are a parent or carer of a child, or children with disabilities and or developmental delay and you are a member of a toy library, we invite you to join us for one of our upcoming focus groups.

The Disability Access, Inclusion, and Support (DAIS) Program Team, here at TLA, are excited to be involved in research being undertaken by a team based at Western Sydney University to explore the barriers and facilitators to families using our community toy libraries.

[Image description: Text on a dark blue background reads, 'Let's make Toy Libraries accessible to all families. Now taking expression of interest for TLA Focus Groups and surveys.' Below the text is a colourful wooden rainbow toy, with green, yellow, and blue paint splatter designs on the right side.]

Prof. Christine Johnston, with Dr Matthew Breaden and Dr Kate O’Rourke, alongside TLA's DAIS staff members Zoe Houstein, Michelle Loft and Melanie Douglas, will be leading the research, taking shape in the form of:

• online surveys (coming soon)

• focus groups for parents and carers of children with disabilities.

Focus groups expression of interest:

If you are a parent or carer of a child or children with disabilities and a member of a toy library, we invite you to join us for one of our upcoming focus groups.

The focus groups are being held both in-person and online. There are metro and regional options across the country for in-person sessions. All online sessions are national. All focus group participants are remunerated a $50 voucher.

Click the button below to share your expression of interest (EOI) to join a focus group.

Focus group EOI form

In-person focus groups

Western Australia

Beckenham:

Friday 22nd November 2024

10:00am - 11:00am

Gosnells Toy Library

27 Birchington St

Beckenham WA 6107

Tuart Forest:

Tuesday 26th November 2024

1:00pm - 2:00pm

Tuart Forest Toy Library

40 Hasties Road

Gelorup WA 6230

New South Wales

Maroubra:

Tuesday 19th November

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Maroubra Room, Lionel Bowen Library

669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra, NSW

Forestville:

November (date to be confirmed)

12:00pm - 1:00pm

Early Ed Cubby House Toy Library

3 Starkey St, Forestville, NSW

Online sessions (for all Australian based participants)

Tuesday 19th November

7:00pm - 8:00pm AEDT (4:00pm - 5:00pm AWST, 6:00pm - 7:00pm AEST, 6:30pm - 7:30pm ACDT)

Via Zoom

Wednesday 20th November

1:00pm - 2:00pm AEDT (10:00am - 11:00am AWST, 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST, 12:30pm - 1:30pm ACDT)

Via Zoom

Saturday 30th November

12:00pm - 1:00pm AEDT (9:00am - 10:00am AWST, 11:00am - 12:00pm AEST, 11:30am - 12:30pm ACDT)

Via Zoom

From this research, we hope to better understand how families experience and engage with toy libraries. We will be gathering and sharing insights into ways we can better support toy libraries through education, training, and resources. The findings from this research project will form pilot programs to trial strategies to improve accessibility to toy libraries. We are especially interested in understanding if families’ experiences are the same or different if their child has a developmental delay or disability.

Surveys:

• Survey for parents and carers of children 10-15 mins

• Survey for professionals working with children with disabilities 5-10 mins

If you have any questions (all questions are welcomed), please contact Program Manager, Zoe Houstein at zoe@toylibraries.org.au