Father builds $35m theme park for daughter with special needs-it's free for people with disabilities© Provided by Scoop Upworthy
To read more of Sethuraman S.'s article, click here, Father builds $35m theme park for daughter with special needs-it's free for people with disabilities (msn.com)
Gordon Hartman was heartbroken as he watched his 12-year-old daughter unable to make friends at a swimming pool during a family vacation. His daughter Morgan is autistic and was born with cognitive and physical special needs. He started searching for an inclusive public place that would be fun for everyone. When he found no such place, he decided to build one himself. That's how he started Morgan's Wonderland, an ultra-accessible theme park in San Antonio, Texas. It's a place for everyone, where people with and without disabilities can come together for fun and a better understanding of one another.
"It's a park for 100 percent of the people, not one for 90 or 80 percent of them, it's for everybody, no matter how acute their special need maybe," Hartman told PEOPLE. "That's what my dream was." Hartman also said that anyone with a disability is admitted free of charge, no questions asked.
The park is inclusive about hiring as well, with one-third of its staff being people with special needs. He also started a fully accessible $17 million water park called Morgan's Inspiration Island, and the park provides waterproof wheelchairs free of charge and also complimentary waterproof bags for ventilators and O2 water-collar covers for guests who need to cover tracheas. Morgan's Inspiration Island was recognized by Time Magazine in its World's Greatest Places list in 2018.
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