A butterfly DIY costume created by Beit Issie Shapiro and the Holon Institute of Technology. Photo: Provided.

The Israel-based NGO Beit Issie Shapiro has partnered with industrial design students from the Holon Institute of Technology to create a series of Do It Yourself (DIY) costumes for children with disabilities ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim.

The new initiative aims to help “parents of children with disabilities who use walkers and wheelchairs to create a dream-costume for their child which highlights their mobility aid and makes them feel magical,” according to a Thursday announcement.

Based in Ra’anana, the mission of Beit Issie Shapiro is to create more inclusivity and equal opportunities around the world for people with disabilities.

The Israeli NGO has posted on its website four video tutorials explaining how to make butterfly, airplane pilot, DJ or candy shop costumes designed to be adapted for different mobility devices — including a stroller, walker, wheelchair and motorized wheelchair. The website also provides written instructions, lists of supplies needed and design patterns that can be printed at home.

The “Dream Costume” initiative has worked with the Holon Institute of Technology for seven years to help children who use a mobility aid bring their costume ideas to life. The joint initiative allows “children with disabilities to stand out among their peers in a positive way, as their wheelchair or walker becomes their greatest asset,” the organization said.

“We realized the incredible demand of this initiative and wanted to ensure that every child, in Israel and around the world, can feel like a star in their costumes,” said Adi Shpigel, director of Social Impact Projects at the Holon Institute of Technology. “The open-design templates will allow us to reach even further and allow families to benefit and connect through the creativity process.”

Ahmir Lerner, Beit Issie Shapiro’s executive director, added, “By sharing the know-how to create adaptive costumes, and for the first time making it accessible to families around the world, we hope to create true impact in our society and bring Purim-joy for people with disabilities.”