“Join us to Spark Joy in Lives.”
…the Inclusive Innovators write on their main website page. Their goal is to provide accessibility for the many disabled children through the form of assistive technology. Through toys, awareness, and policy change, the Inclusive Innovators Club (IIC) introduces a change for the small, toddler-sized voices out there which are so often disregarded.
Speaking to Unnati Seshadri, a junior at James Logan High and the president of IIC, she talks about how the inspiration and motive to build her club was due to her differently-abled cousin, who she observed, struggled to perform basic tasks that other children would easily be able to do. Her cousin could not play with ordinary toys, even if she tried her hardest.
“It was all these small things that any other kid could do, she couldn’t do. Squeezing her hands around the toy, pressing the button on the back…” Seshadri said.
Watching her cousin struggle to simply play with a children’s toy led Seshadri to realize the lack of accessibility for disabled children around her. And a lack of accessibility in simple things like toys, which all children should be able to enjoy, is heartbreaking.
Seshadri started to explore the reality of fun for differently-abled children.
When researching, Seshadri realized that the cost difference between adaptive toys and basic toys was significant. The simple observation that just accessibility for disabled children would require so much money and resources was enough for her to commit to giving a more attainable option to the children of NHUSD.
The Inclusive Innovators Club is part of the Makers Making Change chapter, an international humanitarian organization. Seshadri’s IIC is the first to be introduced to the West Coast.
James Logan High School, where Seshadri’s organization is based, was just introduced to this.
“We [president and co-founders] were half optimistic and half nervous for the Club Fair,” Seshadri said. “Would people like it? Would they ignore it? Would they be inspired and interested? We had no idea.”
The yearly Club Fair is held at James Logan High School to advertise and introduce all the new clubs that student can sign up for.
To advertise, IIC had a sparkling blue display for their organization, and sitting front and center was Snowie (the first ever toy made in the club to represent their commitment to growing accessibility for disabled children.)
Students were intrigued by Snowie and the subtle alternative it offered for those who don’t live our day-to-day, effortless reality.
From the sparkling display to the sparkling purpose, it is safe to say the Inclusive Innovators dominated the Club Fair, with a whopping number of 139 sign-ups.
When signing up for the club, various students were interviewed with questions like, “How do we make Logan’s environment more welcoming?” or “How can we spread awareness about the struggles of disabled children?”
Ms. Villegas, an Ethnic Studies teacher at James Logan, gave strong input on the value of the club.
“Oftentimes, we’re in our own little box. We stay in our own community,” Villegas said. “We don’t get exposed to folks that have a different reality. So just opportunities to meet and interact with students that are differently-abled will provide students that are not differently-abled an idea of what it’s like. And know that…we’re all just people.”
The IIC had an amazing turnout for their first club meeting. All members walked through the door with enthusiasm and a great interest in the club’s humanitarian agenda.
“The club works directly for the betterment of disadvantaged students in the district,” said Leah Kim, the Policy Change and Advocacy Leader for IIC, and a sophomore at James Logan. “If my advocacy wasn’t here, personally making a difference, where else would it be?”
This past summer, the founders had the unique opportunity to volunteer at Searles Elementary and Cesar Chavez Middle School, where they introduced Snowie to the Special Education students and staff, and had a wonderful time interacting with/learning more about the community.
Evidently, the Inclusive Innovators have already started to pave a path in the community.
The furtherance of our community, and especially the children, is the shine of the future. And starting at the core, and focusing on the happiness of the children who need the greatest amount of help, is what IIC stands for.
“It’s not a job,” Seshadri says, “and it’s not some after-school extracurricular activity, either. I’m making a commitment to these kids, and I fully intend to hold myself accountable.”
