Gwendolyn Strong Foundation

Gwendolyn Strong Foundation NEVER GIVE UP. Nonprofit + Apparel for Kind Humans. Every purchase makes a difference. Be the GOOD.
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Join an unstoppable community of thoughtful kind humans committed to transforming lives and building a more kind and inclusive future.

08/21/2026

What makes a playground truly inclusive? 🦋

It’s more than simply being able to get in. Inclusive play means designing for:

• Inclusivity — everyone is considered from the beginning
• Shared play — children, friends, parents, grandparents and caregivers can play together
• Sensory, physical + social play — different bodies, senses, interests and needs are supported
• Multiple ways to play — equipment can be enjoyed in different ways, not just one prescribed way
• Removing barriers — physical, sensory and social barriers are designed out whenever possible
• Beyond access — getting there isn’t enough if you can’t participate once you arrive
• All ages + all abilities — because play and connection aren’t just for children
• Belonging — the ultimate goal is creating a place where everyone feels invited, included and part of the fun

Accessibility gets you there.
Inclusive design lets you participate.
Belonging makes you want to stay. 💜

That’s what we’re building at Gwendolyn’s Playground . 🌈🍄🦄

All ages. All abilities. All joy.

Some of the hardest work happens quietly.No applause. No big announcement. Maybe no one even knowing how much it took to...
08/19/2026

Some of the hardest work happens quietly.

No applause. No big announcement. Maybe no one even knowing how much it took to get here.

So if you’re working on something — this is your shoutout.

Keep going. You’re doing great. 🫶

Inclusive kids don’t just happen. We raise them. 🌈We talk openly about differences. We make sure diversity is part of th...
08/18/2026

Inclusive kids don’t just happen. We raise them. 🌈

We talk openly about differences. We make sure diversity is part of their everyday world. We teach them to notice who might be left out — and how to make room. And we keep learning right alongside them.

Because raising inclusive kids isn’t about teaching them that we’re all the same.

It’s teaching them that our differences are part of being human — and everyone deserves to belong.

What would you add to the list?

It’s Back to School time and that means your child will likely encounter disability. Adults often over-complicate how to...
08/16/2026

It’s Back to School time and that means your child will likely encounter disability. Adults often over-complicate how to talk about disabilities and how to talk to disabled people. Our 6-page downloadable art is a great resource to help guide you. Feel free to print for your classroom, office, home, or meetings. Send us pictures of how you share this.

https://shop.nevergiveup.org/products/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-disabilities-free-download

08/12/2026

What people think vs what is happening…

We’re not just building a playground.

We’re building a place where everyone belongs. 🦋

Where accessibility is the starting point—not the finish line.

Where imagination, innovation, connection and joy are designed for all ages + all abilities.

This is what inclusive design can look like.

And we can’t wait for you to experience it. 💜🦋🍄🦄🌈

A little “follow / unfollow” guide to this corner of the internet. 🦋Around here, you’ll find disability, advocacy, mothe...
08/10/2026

A little “follow / unfollow” guide to this corner of the internet. 🦋

Around here, you’ll find disability, advocacy, motherhood, grief, joy, big ideas, ordinary life — and a stubborn belief that we can make things better.

I’m still learning. Still asking questions. Still trying to make more room for joy, belonging & humanity.

If that sounds like your kind of place, I’m glad you’re here. 💜

And now I want to know: what’s a reason someone should follow you?

Eighteen years ago, I walked into a postpartum baby group PEP Santa Barbara with a six-week-old Gwendolyn and no idea th...
08/06/2026

Eighteen years ago, I walked into a postpartum baby group PEP Santa Barbara with a six-week-old Gwendolyn and no idea that I was about to meet some of the people who would help carry me through the hardest and most beautiful chapters of my life.

We bonded over first babies, nursing struggles, sleepless nights, and learning how to become mothers together.

When Gwendolyn was first hospitalized and through that terrifying first year, they showed up with warm meals, open hearts, and unwavering support.

As our babies became toddlers, Sarah started “Mommy Happy Hour.” Every week, our children played while we laughed, cried, vented, celebrated, and figured out life together. Those afternoons became a lifeline for me. They were also where I watched something extraordinary happen: my friends didn’t just make room for Gwendolyn—they embraced her. Her wheelchair was simply part of the playdate. She belonged.

Over the next 18 years, we welcomed more babies, celebrated milestones, fundraised for Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, held each other through heartbreak, and after Gwendolyn died, these women—and their families—continued to show up with their hearts wide open.

Now the oldest babies are heading off to college.

Sarah gathered us one last time at the home where so many of those memories were made. And when I arrived, she was wearing a big purple butterfly for my girl. I don’t think she realized just how much that meant to me. 😭

People often ask how I knew Gwendolyn’s Playground would become a reality.

The truth is, I learned what inclusion looked like long before the playground. I watched it happen every week in a backyard with a group of mothers who raised children to make room, ask questions, include everyone, and love without hesitation.

Forever grateful for the friendships that remind us that belonging begins with people. 💜🦋💜 Love you Ronda, Sarah, Marina, and Jillian!

Not every disability is visible.Some disabilities are easy to recognize.Others aren’t immediately apparent.Invisible dis...
08/04/2026

Not every disability is visible.

Some disabilities are easy to recognize.
Others aren’t immediately apparent.

Invisible disabilities can include:
💚 Learning disabilities
💚 Neurodevelopmental disabilities
💚 Mental health conditions
💚 Sensory disabilities
💚 Neurological conditions
💚 Chronic illnesses that are disabling
💚 Autoimmune diseases
💚 And many other lived experiences.

We can’t always tell what someone is carrying by looking at them.

That’s why accessibility, kindness, giving people grace, and believing people when they share their experiences matter.

Not all disabilities are visible. But every person deserves dignity, understanding, and belonging.

What do you wish more people understood about invisible disabilities?

07/31/2026

Most Americans have never heard of Willowbrook.

But for disabled people and their families, it’s a chapter of history that changed everything.

For generations, people with disabilities were separated from their communities, often told they didn’t belong in schools, neighborhoods, or public life.

When the truth about Willowbrook reached the public in 1972, it helped spark a movement that transformed disability rights in America.

The playgrounds, schools, and community spaces we’re fighting to build today didn’t happen by accident.

They’re built on decades of advocacy.

History matters. We can’t build a more equitable future if we don’t understand our past.

Disability Pride Month may be coming to a close, but the work doesn’t end here.I hope this month inspired you to learn, ...
07/30/2026

Disability Pride Month may be coming to a close, but the work doesn’t end here.

I hope this month inspired you to learn, to listen, and to see disability as a natural and valuable part of our communities.

Because the truth is, disability rights still require our attention. Access, healthcare, education, representation, and belonging are shaped by the choices we make every day—and by the voices willing to speak up.

Let’s keep learning.
Let’s keep advocating.
Let’s keep building communities where everyone belongs.

When the calendar changes — our commitment doesn’t. NEVER GIVE UP.
💜🦋💜

Address

27 W Anapamu Street, Ste 177
Santa Barbara, CA
93101

Telephone

+18052030334

Website

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