Once upon a time there was an occupational therapist who cared very deeply about her young patients. She looked around and noticed with sadness that the playgrounds around her were not inclusive for them. They couldn’t swing. They couldn’t slide. They couldn’t climb on the equipment. Yet, because there was a paved walkway, the parks met the requirements of “accessible”. It didn’t seem fair.
Luckily, this particular doctor was Dr. Nicole Julia, and she happened to be a dreamer. Her dream was so big that it went beyond her own city having a playground. It went to all the children living with different abilities, all over the world. She dreamed of a world where everyone is accepted exactly as they are and all children know deep down inside that they can do ANYTHING.
Thank goodness she did. Because her dream is coming true!
It begins with a series of books called the Able Fables. The first installment, Gary’s Gigantic Dream is charming. As a mom of a child with multiple special needs, it actually brought tears to my eyes. My son beamed as we read. He squealed with excitement as he saw Gary, a darling giraffe, receiving a green wheelchair just like his! He waved and laughed with delight at the images of featured children in the photo gallery at the back.
Kids just like him! Kids who are sparkling additions to the world we live in. Kids who deserve all the same opportunities as everyone else, beginning with the right to play!
There was even a space for my son’s own photo, and to fill in his own story and big dream, affirming that he is able just like Gary! I don’t think words can express what that meant to him, and to me.
We understood little Gary’s emotions as he chose and was fitted for his first wheelchair. We cheered as his chair empowered him to play and engage with other people. We witnessed him grow up and live his own dream of teaching other children that they can do anything they set their hearts to. Gary was inspiring, not only to my son but to me, to keep reaching for our own goals and believe that anything is possible.
Meet the visionary behind the Able Fables: Nicole is a down-to-earth person with a warm smile that expresses her genuine love for people. She describes herself as a “gymnast, turned diver” (by the way, she has caught a 7.5 foot shark!) “turned photographer, turned occupational therapist and author.”
When asked if she had always dreamed of being an author, Nicole told a pretty inspiring story. “No, I sure did not!…God has worked through me in incredible ways. When I was in OT school, I joked with my teacher that I would write a book on wheelchair seating and positioning after learning how comprehensive and individualized the process is. A year later, I was studying for boards in a coffee shop, and I had a poem stuck in my head out of nowhere. I grabbed my journal, and 30 minutes later, I had written my first book, and I cried (cus I do that a lot)!”
So what is inclusion, and why is it such a huge passion for her? Nicole shares, “Superficially, inclusion can be defined as the act of being accepted. At its core, inclusion requires profound love, empathy, understanding, and a willingness to steps outside of one’s comfort zone to invite an individual to participate fully in life’s occupations. Inclusion is holistic. To be included, one must be invited to participate in work, education, play, leisure, socialization, and the community. Why do I love it? Without inclusion, we are missing out on amazing people, new opportunities, and abundancy in life.”
Abuntancy in life sounds like a vision we all can get behind. In a world where it sometimes seems empathy is in short supply, Nicole is shining her light brightly by sharing her dream of inclusion with as many people she can! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing what she had to say about her vision. You can too, it’s all at theablefables.com!
Making a difference: As of this printing, well over 4,000 dollars has already been donated to building inclusive playgrounds by this passionate organization, and they are just getting started! Twenty per cent of sales from the Able Fables books will go to build inclusive playgrounds! Think what a tremendous impact that can make for children all over who are waiting and eager for their chance to play?
When I look over the Able Fables website, I want ALL the products! The clothing for kids and adults is adorable and colorful, featuring designs with powerful messages like, “We’re All Able!” and “What a lovely day to be inclusive!” On the website you can also download coloring pages featuring the adorable characters from the stories, and a guide to inclusive playgrounds!
The playgrounds are just one of so many reasons these books are important! Representation for children all over the world who are real and have real feelings is just as vital. I once went to my local library and asked for books about children with disabilities. They produced one book — one –and it was okay. It was meant to educate young children that everyone is different, not a bad goal by any means. BUT…there wasn’t a story in it. There was not a leader with different abilities setting the example of reaching for their goals and acheiving them.
The Able Fables have that. For those of us raising differently abled but very ABLE children, that story of a leader just like them is the IT factor that makes these books a dream come true. My son saw himself in those pages as strong, able, and needed by the world around him. You really can’t place a premium on that (but as a bonus the books are very affordable).
The second message of hope in the Able Fables series is coming soon, Lia’s Kind Mind. Featuring Lia, a little lion with a port wine stain birthmark on her face. Although she looks different, she knows she is beautiful, smart, and unique, and that her kindness is where her true value lies. She’s able, and can confidently reach for her dreams as a world class gymnast! We can’t wait to read it!
More titles are in the works, featuring children living with blindness, limb differences, autism and sensory difficulties, hearing impairment, chromosomal differences, and more — so make sure to follow this amazing series as child after child learns that they are able to be whatever they want to be.
Imagine that message making its way into classrooms across North America — and the world. Imagine a world where all children know, beyond a doubt, that they are able to make an impact for good. That they are important. That they can dream as big as anybody else. How important is that message, not only for kids living with different abilities, but for all children (and even adults)? Because really, kids with “special needs” have the same needs as everyone else: They need to be included, valued, supported, and loved. They need to play and dream and achieve.
We can create a world like this! We can give them playgrounds, we can give the gift of encouragement through the Able Fables books and the messages on the apparel, we can help the children around us to dream as big as Gary the Giraffe and Dr. Nicole Julia.
A few ideas of ways we can make Gary’s Gigantic Dream a reality in our own communities:
- We can donate Able Fables books to our local schools and libraries!
- We can gift Able Fables books to friends and family!
- We can actively promote the need for inclusive playgrounds in our communities, and give to that worthy cause!
- We can practice inclusion and show our kids that everyone is able by building strong friendships with people of diverse abilities!
- We can read the Able Fables with our own children and raise up an inclusive generation of dreamers for a better world.
We can do it together, because WE ARE ALL ABLE!
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