WASHINGTON (25News Now) – A Washington event that gave children with disabilities a day of fun and inclusion won’t be happening this year, and community members said this leaves a gap in this year’s Good Neighbor Days.
Special Kids Day, offered annually, provides a private and inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities to enjoy rides and festivities at the Good Neighbor Days carnival.
In a statement released to families that 25News obtained from a viewer, organizers said they are re-evaluating the safety and well-being after an incident at an unnamed festival last year.
“To go and cancel an event that so many people look forward to… I took my son to these events when he was growing up, and they were his favorites. He felt that he wasn’t as overstimulated with the crowds, the lights, the noise, and the music,” Amy Gayle.
As a parent of a child with autism and founder of an organization that supports those with disabilities, Gayle knows how much the Special Kids’ Day means to area families.
“That motion and the feelings of the ride are the joy and the laughs on their faces, it’s almost a look and a feeling of freedom to be able to go out and do something fun,” explained Gayle.
25News reached out to the Washington Chamber of Commerce regarding the cancellation of the event, but they declined to comment at this time.
“We don’t want this to become a trend where we are discriminating against a group of people that are already so discriminated against. I understand there is liability, but there is liability every single day. Any child can fall off a ride and get hurt, not just one with a disability,” Gayle said.
While safety remains the top concern, Gayle hopes organizers will collaborate with local organizations that support individuals with disabilities, such as Hearts for Change, to find a safer and more inclusive solution for the future.
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