Hope for Hall | Wauka Mountain Elementary School

play • education • technology for all

I’'m HopE ! Hi!

Our Story

Written by: Hope’s Mom

Born and raised in Gainesville, Georgia, Ben and I met in high school. It was a “love at first sight” moment. We went our separate ways after high school, but as fate would have it (or thanks to my sister), we reconnected and married in May 2013. The early years of our marriage were spent traveling and working hard in our businesses, as we are both local entrepreneurs. In 2018, we were thrilled to welcome our first child, Thomas James. A few years later, just after Thomas turned 2, we found out we were expecting again. We were so excited — what a precious gift!

Pregnancy with baby #2 started off like a typical first trimester — all day sickness and constant heartburn. During a routine appointment at 26 weeks pregnant, our doctors discovered abnormalities on our baby’s brain. The next 14 weeks of pregnancy were filled with weekly tests, ultrasounds, and specialist appointments.

Ben and I wanted to be surprised by the gender of our baby. However, when we learned that there were medical complications with baby #2, we decided that we needed to find out the gender, so we could specifically pray for him or her by name.

We had tossed around some ideas for names but had not settled on anything yet. After one of our weekly specialist appointments, we had the nurse write the gender of our baby in an envelope. As we were getting in the car, we both decided that we just couldn’t wait until we got home — we had to know right away! Ben opened the envelope, and we both wept with joy at the news of a little girl. On the way home, Ben mentioned the name “Hope.” We agreed that it was the perfect fit. In that moment, we decided to name our little girl Hope Elizabeth.

On November 6th, 2020, we welcomed Hope into the world, and she was immediately admitted to the NICU. The day after her birth, she was transferred to the CHOA

NICU where we stayed overnight for some special testing and exams that could not be performed in Gainesville. We were transferred back to the Gainesville NICU and stayed for six additional days before being released to go home.

We settled into our new “normal” which was much different than the newborn phase we had experienced with Thomas. Hope started early intervention therapy at 9 weeks old while Ben and I learned how to administer medicine around the clock. Each week, Hope completed anywhere from 2-6 early intervention therapy sessions. She worked hard to learn things that came so naturally to our first born, such as eating, sitting, crawling, and eventually walking.

Early on in our journey, multiple doctors made comments and predictions about Hope’s abilities. Some doctors expressed a lot of optimism about Hope’s abilities. Others told us, she may not be able to eat orally, talk, walk, see, or hear.

Several months after she was born, Hope was diagnosed with a rare genetic syndrome called Microthalmia with Linear Skin Defects Syndrome (MLS syndrome). We learned MLS syndrome has less than 300 known cases in the world and that it is lethal in males. What a sign of God’s faithfulness: He gifted us with a girl who can live!

One afternoon, after receiving some difficult news at an appointment with Hope, I went to the Wauka Mountain track to take out my frustrations with a long run. I’ve always used running to blow off steam and have been running on this track for 20 years. Until this day, I had never paid attention to the playground. But after leaving an appointment when a doctor had predicted that my child may not walk, I started to see the playground, and the world, through a

different lens. Both of my kids will attend elementary school at Wauka Mountain, but there was a chance that they would not be able to play on the same playground together. It broke my heart. At that moment, I knew I had to do something. I knew that all kids with all abilities deserved the chance to play together!

And just like that — Hope For Hall was born! Inspired to make a positive change in our community, we started learning about inclusive playgrounds and connected with a local company that designs, builds and installs them. We partnered with friends, old and new, recruited family members, and sought out advocates for the disabled community who believed in our mission. We met with public school administration and presented our inclusive playground design. Thanks to Hall County Administration’s approval, Hope for Hall is fundraising and building Hall County’s first inclusive playground at one of their 20 elementary schools.

Building our first inclusive playground is just the beginning — we have dreams of building many more! At the end of the day, our core belief is that all kids of all abilities deserve the opportunity to play together!

’

We

OUR MISSION

Striving

re Hope for H all.

to normalize disability through

play, education,

and technology

.

PLAY We believe that all kids, with all abilities, deserve the opportunity to play together. We believe in building playgrounds that are inclusive — not just accessible. When we build inclusive playgrounds, we show our kids that they belong, and that they are worthy. Building and advocating for inclusive playgrounds is the heart of what we do!

EDUCATION

We believe that children should be taught about disability rights and disability history. We believe it is important for kids to have access to books that champion and feature those with disabilities. We believe it is important to expose our children to the amazing work that people with disabilities have accomplished throughout history.

Technology

We believe technology is constantly evolving and is a wonderful tool that can provide ways for typically developing children and children with disabilities to interact, converse, and play together. Technology has the opportunity to enhance and create connections between all kids with all abilities.

20%

know? DID YOU

of the US population is disabled, making people with disabilities the country’s largest minority group, and the only minority group that you can join at any time.

CDC, “Disability Impacts All of Us.” (2022).

Hall County School system serves 3,500+ students with disabilities district-wide.

Hall County School System, “Special Education General Information.” (2022).

Play helps children build skills that promotes executive function, enhances their ability to learn, & strengthens their resistance to stress.

Yogman, et al. “The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children.” (The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018).

7.2 million (or 15%)

The number of public school students ages 3–21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

National Center for Education Statistics. (2021-2022).

According to a 2022 study from the CDC,

1,960,756 adults (or 1 in 4 adults) in Georgia have a disability.

16.2%

2009-2011 2015-2017

17.8%

According to a 2019 study conducted by the CDC, the percentage of children ages 3-17 years diagnosed with a developmental disability increased from 16.2% (2009 – 2011) to 17.8% (2015 – 2017).

Play has been shown to have both direct and indirect effects on brain structure and functioning. Play leads to changes at the molecular (epigenetic), cellular (neuronal connectivity), and behavioral levels (socioemotional and executive functioning skills) that promote learning and adaptive and/or prosocial behavior.”

Yogman, et al. “The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children.” (The American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018).

“Play is not frivolous; it is brain building.

A PLAYGROUND FOR KIDS WITH all abilities

Why Wauka? Wauka Mountain is the first of many! Did you know that Wauka Mountain will be the first public elementary school in Hall County to have an inclusive playground? The good news is that just because it’s the first, doesn’t mean it will be the last for Hall County elementary schools!

Wauka Mountain Elementary School

the maze

A roll-on,merry-go-round is fully wheelchair accessible and allows kids of all abilities to interact in a themed environment. It can be turned from the inside or outside, allowing everyone to participate in the fun.

What are we most

excited about?

Our favorite part about the playground is the maze. Our maze has 13 customizable panels which will feature the Braille alphabet, American Sign Language (ASL) alphabet and biographies of Helen Keller and Louis Braille. An additional panel will share the story of Paralympic gold medalist Matt Stutzman, known as “The Armless Archer,” who shoots arrows with his feet. Wauka Mountain offers archery to its students so we wanted to showcase Stutzman’s story. The maze has a rubber surface foundation and is wide enough for a child in a wheelchair or mobility aid to weave in and out of the maze. We love how the maze allows us to tie in the educational piece of our mission.

Shaded rest AND play area

Placing a Symbol Communication Sign at the entrance to a play area ensures that everyone can express themselves! The graphics are helpful to those with visual processing challenges. Additionally, symbols are placed on a black background to increase legibility for those with visual impairments. The communication sign is the perfect way for non-verbal kids to communicate their needs while playing with their peers.

NO-TRANSFER SWING The We-Go-Swing® is a revolutionary step forward in inclusive play experiences. Designed to be integrated into the playground setting with no need to transfer, this swing lets kids of all abilities play together and experience the thrill of swinging.

Did you know...

we specifically chose to use high contrast colors throughout the playground because they are helpful for children who are blind or have low vision.

What are we most excited about? Sensory play is any activity that stimulates a child’s senses. Through sensory play, children develop behaviors based on what they touch, see, hear, taste, smell, and how they move and position their bodies in space. Sensory-rich playgrounds allow children of all ages and abilities to integrate and develop their senses. The more they play, the more they develop skills necessary to engage, change, and impact the world around them.

The rubber surfacing allows children and adults who use a wheel chair or mobility aid to play on the playground.

What are we most excited about? Kids of all abilities can experience the thrill of flying with ZipKrooz®! The molded bucket seat with lock-in-place harness provides stability and security for kids with limited core strength. Pairing the ZipKrooz with an additional bay ensures a truly inclusive play experience where kids of all abilities can play side-by-side.

INCLUSIVE SPINNER

The high-backed OmniSpin® Spinner offers children of all abilities valuable vestibular sensory stimulation and encourages interactive play. The OmniSpin has transfer points from wheelchair or walker.

INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUNDS About

you may have heard the term “ accessible playground ” & wondered what it meant. An accessible playground is any playground that can be entered or reached without challenge, making it open to any and every child. For example, a wheelchair–accessible playground is designed to allow wheelchairs to easily maneuver between pieces of equipment, so that anyone in a wheelchair can access all the playground features without issue.

An inclusive playground helps children of all backgrounds and abilities feel a sense of belonging by ensuring every child can fully engage with the equipment without limitations. An inclusive playground enriches play for everyone by providing a variety of sensory experiences that children of all abilities can enjoy.

While all inclusive playgrounds are also accessible, not all accessible playgrounds can be considered inclusive playgrounds. An accessible playground does not always create the optimal space for disabled and able-bodied children to play and interact with each other. Inclusive playgrounds go above and beyond the minimum standards of accessibility to promote a truly inclusive experience so every child at the playground can feel like they belong.

OUR MISSION

Striving to normalize disability through play, education, and technology.