Inclusion Just Takes A Little Creativity

I’ve got something to share with you that I hope you will enjoy as much as I did. It reminded me of the “Before Times,” where stories of schools or communities doing something truly inclusive would fuel my passion for days. Recently, I saw this wonderful story of an elementary school in Kentucky that surprised one of their students by including a photo of her service dog in the yearbook.

OMG how cute are these two?? This 4-year-old Labradoodle named Ariel accompanies 7-year-old Hadley Jo Lange to school and notifies the school staff if Hadley is about to have a seizure and then lays down under her to cushion her fall.

From Hadley’s mom…

“When I got the yearbook and saw that they included our service dog, that was one of the most touching moments of my life. The inclusiveness meant so much.”

This is an act of inclusion that cost nothing and took very little effort. It took knowing Hadley Jo and her family well enough to understand their love for Ariel. It was an intentional act of true caring. What an impact this made on the family. What a beautiful way to let Hadley Jo know she is welcomed and accepted at school.

Maybe you know why else this story struck a chord with me in a time when I really needed it. Yup, I am also a red-headed girl with a 4-year-old brown Labradoodle!