Edinburgh Trams are to donate dozens of squeezy tram toys to help make the Edinburgh Fringe Festival a stress-free experience for autistic festival goers. Special sensory backpacks will be put together by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society with the squeezy trams set to be a major part of these!
Each backpack will not only include the squeezy tram but also a fidget toy, earplugs and a social story describing the street events. All this is designed to help anyone who may feel overwhelmed to stay calm and surpass intense situations.
Lea Harrison, Edinburgh Trams Managing Director, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors to this year’s festival, and we want to help everyone enjoy this unique experience. The sensory backpacks and their squeezy trams will certainly help people with autism to enjoy a stress-free experience while our full-size vehicles will be operating every day and late into the evening to provide hassle-free travel throughout the festival!”
A spokesperson from the Fringe Society spokesperson added: “We are absolutely delighted that Edinburgh Trams have once again kindly donated the toys that will help us to fulfil our aim to provide an all-inclusive festival. The squeezy trams have been hugely popular in previous years with everyone who uses the backpacks, so we’re thrilled that Edinburgh Trams is continuing to support this valuable access project. Thank you, Edinburgh Trams!”