Dublin mum to open sensory barbers for those with additional needs

When it comes to being the parent of a child with additional needs, certain things can present as an extra challenge.

Such as shopping for food or clothing, visiting the dentist or doctor, or, indeed, bringing your little one for a haircut. One Dublin mother is hoping to change this, as she launches a GoFundMe campaign to help realise her dream of opening a sensory barber shop, all designed for those with additional needs. Emma Doyle is a barber, and a single mum of five children – one of which has Asperger's Syndrome. So, Doyle explains, she knows first hand the challenges that can arise for children and adults with additional needs when it comes to receiving a haircut. “For a person with additional needs, like autism, who often struggle with the environment of a regular barbers, the noises, small spaces, bright lighting, and fast pace can just be so overwhelming and too much to take," Doyle tells HerFamily. "And as for wheelchair users in Dublin, trying to find a barber shop that they can access freely, well, it is nearly impossible.” In order to try to realise her dream of setting up a barber shop specially designed and fitted for those with additional needs, Doyle has set up a GoFundMe page. Planning to make the barbers a calming space, with adjustments that can make the process of a haircut a totally different experience for clients, Doyle says that she hopes to raise enough funds to open a fully equipped sensory sensitive and wheelchair accessible business. "I know that it would really make a difference to so many," she says. "I personally understand what a shop like this would mean to people and their lives, and I fully understand the care and patience that will be needed for this venture. "I cannot wait to start!”