Rainbow House to benefit from Magic Carpet

A children’s charity has been awarded a £5,000 grant by Community Link Foundation.

The grant will allow Rainbow House to purchase a piece of equipment known as a Magic Carpet which is an interactive projection system.

Rainbow House is a children’s charity in Mawdesley and they provide a range of therapeutic services to children and young people who have physical disabilities as a result of a neurological condition or brain injury.
They applied to Community Link Foundation for a grant towards a Magic Carpet Interactive Floor system, which is a very advanced piece of technology, combining lots of fun with educational learning experiences.

The “Magic Carpet” is a projection system which is displayed on the floor, or table top etc. and users simply move over and touch the projected images to interact with them. They can also interact using eye-gaze technique which is great for some of the children who have physical restrictions and limitations. For these children, the system will open up a whole new world of social interaction.

The ‘carpet’ will be used for children and young people of all ages attending Rainbow House who have physical disabilities and complex needs. The cost for it is more than £9,000 so the grant from Community Link Foundation will go towards the total cost.

Enda Rylands, chairman of Community Link Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be able to help Rainbow House with the purchase of the Magic Carpet which we know will create excellent learning opportunities. We hope that the carpet will bring a lot of enjoyment to all those who use Rainbow House.”

A spokeswoman for Rainbow House, said: “Our aim is to enable children and young people with neurological conditions to achieve their full potential, gain as much independence as possible. We want to make their life the best it possibly can be and provide opportunities that would not otherwise be available to them.

“This piece of technology will create a lot of fun for our children and young people. It is a bit like using an ipad but instead of using your fingertips, you can use your whole body through gesture or touch – including the movement of your eyes. The impact is that service users will have new experiences that they would not otherwise have had, and they will be able to use their body in a positive way, to make achievements.

“The sensory experience as a whole is important for our children, especially those with sensory impairments who will adore being stimulated by the lights, sound and movements. The impact of the magic floor is that service users will have had new learning opportunities, whilst having fun and progressing their skills.”