Zoe’s action helps cleft representation on online game
After searching on an online game for a mouth to match her own, ten-year-old Zoe and mum Shelley wrote to the company requesting a cleft lip option – and they swiftly obliged.
Zoe was playing on Times Tables Rock Stars, an international gaming platform that helps children learn their times tables as rock star avatars. The educational game is widely encouraged in schools, to help pupils with their timed multiplication tests.
“There are different music modes – jamming, gig, garage, studio, and sound check, to get you faster at your tables,” explained Zoe, who was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. “You collect special coins to spend on your avatar or buy accessories.
“When I’d got enough coins I wanted to change my avatar but then couldn’t see a mouth like mine. The closest I could find was a bat and I’m not a bat! I wasn’t going to have a bat for a lip.”
“When Zoe said ‘I can see mouths but I can’t see me’, it really hit me and I thought ‘I need to do something about this’, realising she’s not represented.”
Zoe’s mum Shelley said there were a lot of visual differences represented on the game’s site, with free features including glasses, hearing aids, and cochlea implants, but no cleft lip and palate.
“When Zoe said ‘I can see mouths but I can’t see me’, it really hit me and I thought ‘I need to do something about this’, realising she’s not represented.
“The only mouth option that looked a bit cleft-y was the bat one. But obviously it’s not built on a cleft model, it’s just a bat – and I didn’t want anyone thinking they had to ‘settle’ for that.”
Zoe and Shelley wrote to Maths Circle, the creators of Times Tables Rock Stars, to request a cleft lip option. The company responded immediately.
Helen Newies, of Maths Circle, said: “We thought it was a brilliant idea. Zoe’s words – ‘I can see mouths but I can’t see me’ – really resonated with us and underlined just how important representation is.
“We often get requests for new items in our avatar shop, and work to make sure our avatars reflect a wide range of identities and experiences.
“At first, we focused on things like different tones, hairstyles and clothing. As the years have gone on, we’ve been proud to expand this to include features and accessories that help children feel truly represented in their rock star avatars.”
Bruno Reddy, Maths Circle’s founder and chief executive, added: “It makes us proud when children feel represented. We think it’s incredibly important, so we’ll always do what we can.”
Using photos provided by Zoe, and their own research, the game’s designers created a cleft lip option for their avatars, made it available on the platform, and contacted Shelley to let her know.
“The first thing Zoe did when she got home that day was change her avatar, running around saying ‘it’s me! It’s meee!!”
Shelley smiled: “The first thing Zoe did when she got home that day was change her avatar, running around saying ‘it’s me! It’s meee!! I felt it was ‘job done’. That was really satisfying.
“It was also added as a free feature, which I was very happy about, because I didn’t want any child to feel they can get a typical mouth as standard, but then have to ‘earn’ coins for their actual mouth.”
Shelley is a member of CLAPA’s Facebook parent’s group, and shared the news with the group.
“I had so many positive responses from other parents, especially ones whose children use Times Tables Rock Stars. It was brilliant to have the CLAPA forum to share.
“It was especially heartwarming to hear other’s say their children were delighted to see themselves on the game’s platform.”
Helen said she’s also received positive feedback from the new cleft lip design.
She added: “A member of our team works at a local school breakfast club. The day after we made the new cleft lip item available, a parent messaged her thanking us for adding an item which helped more children see themselves within the game.
“We’re so grateful to Zoe and her mum for sharing their story with us, and delighted this addition has already had such a positive response from our community.”
Shelley said Zoe’s school has also acknowledged her positive action, including a note of achievement from her head teacher in her school report.
“I don’t think at ten you really realise how much things like this matter. I hope in the future she’ll see it and be proud of what she’s achieved.”
“We’re starting to think this is just the beginning. For instance, why shouldn’t there be a Barbie with a cleft?”
Following their success with Times Tables Rock Stars, Zoe and Shelley are already thinking further afield.
Shelley said: “We’re starting to think this is just the beginning. For instance, why shouldn’t there be a Barbie with a cleft? Barbie is an obvious one, because they’re getting more diverse – they have Barbies with different skin tones, vitiligo, wheelchairs, hearing aids, so why not cleft lip?
“Lego brought out a cleft lip face in the Pharrell Williams collection for his new movie last year, which was a great start. They also included a character in their new set, the plant cafe and flower shop, which Zoe was delighted to receive for her recent birthday. I guess my wish would be for Lego characters with clefts to be on sale individually, not just in a specialist set, but we were so pleased to find these characters in something so mainstream as Lego.”
Shelley said there are cleft teddies and baby dolls for when children born with a cleft have their first operations, but not so much available for Zoe’s age group.
“When you’re older you’re much more aware of how you look and what your story has been. The more children see and hear differences the better. I don’t want Zoe’s experience to be taboo or something to be ignored, I just want it to be part of her story. I think the word ‘normal’ should disappear out of the language.”
Helen added: “Zoe’s request showed us how important it is for children to spot themselves in the avatars they create, and how much of a difference that can make.
“This story proves that adding options like a cleft lip isn’t hard to do, but it really matters.”
Thank you Zoe
Thank you to Zoe and her mum for sharing her story.
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