Models Direct has been really impressed by the new Toys“R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids®. Not only does the cover feature actress and philanthropist Eva Longoria, but also child model Elijah De La Cerda, a 5-year-old boy with Down syndrome from Fresno, CA.

Following in the footsteps previous guide cover models, including Whoopi Goldberg, Holly Robinson Peete and Maria Shriver, Eva Longoria has strong ties and a deep passion for the special needs community. One of her sisters was born with developmental disabilities, which inspired her to establish Eva’s Heroes in 2006 – a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities for individuals with special needs to interact, play, learn and enrich their lives.

“Growing up in a tight-knit family and watching my sister face – and overcome – everyday challenges, I came to understand the critical importance of teamwork and socialization in the development of differently-abled individuals,” said Longoria.

“The Toys“R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids helps foster inclusive play environments by featuring toys that kids with special needs can enjoy alongside siblings and friends. I’m so honoured to appear on the cover and lend my support to Toys“R”Us for this project.”

Toys“R”Us has been publishing the guide since 1994 when customers and employees were heard discussing the challenges of finding appropriate toys for special needs children. Since then it has become a trusted resource for parents of children with cognitive, physical or developmental needs.

This complimentary resource, which is released annually, is created with guidance from the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making play accessible to children of all abilities. The guide contains symbols which relate to different skills that may be developed with each toy, aiding parents in finding the right product for their child, as well as shots of a diverse range of disabled child models photographed playing with the specially designed toys.

We think these kids have done a great job modelling and have really highlighted the toys’ benefits with some great happy, natural shots. It’s fantastic to see a company that Models Direct has provided baby models for supporting the special needs community in this way.

However, Models Direct, a modelling agency known for its diverse models, hopes to see further progress in this area – it would be great to see child models with special needs featured in the Toys ‘R’ Us’ main catalogue alongside able bodied children.

Babble Voices blogger Ellen Seidman, who writes a blog about her son with special needs, agrees, saying: “I’d like to see kids with special needs included in the mainstream Toys ‘R’ Us catalogue. The more kids see that kids with special needs are still kids, the less they’ll notice the differences. I’m hopeful companies will come around; in recent months, Nordstrom and Target have both featured kids with Down syndrome in ads.”

For the time being, this is a great move in the right direction, and the attention Toys ‘R’ Us has given to children with special needs is truly exemplary. The new 2011 edition is available online, in English and Spanish, at Toysrus.com/DifferentlyAbled.