All children have the right to access quality education and the right to play, yet far too often children with disabilities are excluded from recreational activities and families are denied access to enriching programs like nature-based preschool.
On Wednesday, May 14, Natural Start hosted Say “Yes!” to Kids with Disabilities: Stories and Strategies for Including All Kids. In this interactive webinar, attendees heard from Seattle PlayGarden’s inclusive program director, Hannah Gallagher, to learn how to transform nature-based programming to be more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming toward children, youth, and adults with and without disabilities.
Gallagher drew from scenarios, fun photos, and videos from Seattle PlayGarden's programs, parent testimonials, and a variety of disability-specific and nature play-based resources to help attendees walk away feeling empowered to say "yes" to people with disabilities in our community.
Watch the Recording
Resources
- Join Seattle PlayGarden's Online Inclusion Learning Hub to be in community with others interested in learning about inclusion and access various resources
- Access the Say "Yes" to Kids with Disabilities inclusion toolkit
- Access Inclusive Preschool Through the Seasons: Lessons and Stories from 10 years of Nature-Based Preschool. This book is divided into monthly lesson plans with songs, books, art explorations, special topics, and monthly newsletters that make up the PlayGarden’s fully inclusive, nature-based curriculum.
- Visit Seattle PlayGarden’s youtube channel to explore examples of types of activities they do with children in their programs
Meet the Presenter
Hannah Gallagher, Inclusive Programs Director, Camp Director, and Lead Preschool Teacher, Seattle PlayGarden
Hannah is an inclusive, community-focused environmental educator, speaker, and disability-rights advocate from Seattle, WA. She currently works as the inclusive programs director at Seattle PlayGarden. There, she has gained over 20 years of experience working with children, youth, and adults with and without disabilities in the community. Hannah holds a graduate certificate in Education for Environment & Community from IslandWood, a master’s in education, and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Washington. She is the coauthor of two books written by Seattle PlayGarden about how to create more inclusive nature-based youth programming, and has shared her knowledge at local, national, and international conferences. When Hannah is not working, you can find her anywhere outside–local farmers markets, hiking, biking–or sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family. Contact: [email protected]