Cadbury partners with FutureLabs to create an accessible Easter egg hunt

Confectionary giant Cadbury has partnered with FutureLabs to create an accessible Easter egg hunt.

Cadbury has flipped the model of the traditional Easter egg hunt to instead rely on sound, and not sight. 

Daniel Hewitt, director and founder, FutureLabs said Cadbury outreached to FutureLabs with the initial idea to create an inclusive and accessible Easter egg hunt for vision-impaired families to enjoy.

He said, “Over the course of the research and development, we worked closely with both Cadbury and Blind Citizens Australia to create a tech egg which could not only be found through sound and touch, but suitable for blind and vision-impaired children.”

For the accessible Easter egg hunt to work, each tech egg is paired with a participant wearing a beacon, which works as a proximity sensor for the egg.

Hewitt said, “As the participant moves closer towards the egg, a noise function is triggered, indicating its close proximity. Accelerometers also detect when the egg has been picked up and found, sounding off a fun jingle to reward the participant.

“We also incorporated tactile elements, such as the inclusion of Braille on the egg's surface, and additional sounds which can be heard once the egg is shaken to signify the end of the accessible Easter hunt to all participants.”

Kathy De Lullo, senior marketing manager for Easter, at Cadbury’s parent company Mondelez said It is through this partnership that they were inspired to explore what inclusivity looks like when it comes to Easter.

“We understood that for most the Easter hunt is done on sight. We’ve flipped the model of the traditional Easter egg hunt to instead rely on sound, and not sight.”

With these specifically-designed Easter Eggs used last weekend, De Lullo said both Cadbury and the participating families have witnessed technology's impact on bringing joy into the day-to-day lives of those with vision impairments.

“It is for this reason, that this year Cadbury’s annual $100,000 donation to the Good Friday Appeal, will be directly in support of further research and development in the area of blindness and vision in Australia,” she added.

De Lullo said they will continue to work with their tech developers, FutureLabs, to understand the capabilities of this tech, and potentially explore what this concept could transform into in years to come.

She said, “This is the first step on our mission to make Easter an accessible and inclusive occasion for all, so watch this space.”