My name is Gladys Jones, and I’m the Chief Executive Officer of ECE on the Move. I’m also a child care leader, an advocate, and a person living with a disability.
This month, as we celebrate Disability Pride Month, I’ve been thinking a lot about what that word “pride” really means to me. It’s not about pretending the journey has been easy. It’s about recognizing the strength, resilience, and perspective that disability has added to my life. I’m proud to represent the thousands of adults and children across this country who learn, teach, work, and lead every day with disabilities.
And long before I became part of that community myself, I spent my career supporting children with disabilities. For more than twenty years, I owned and operated GaGa Daycare, a Group Family Day Care program in my home. Every child who walked through my door was unique. Some needed extra support. Some communicated differently or learned in their own way. But every single one came with their own personality, dreams, and incredible potential.
What those years taught me is something I’ve never forgotten: disability does not define a child. Every child wants the same things: to feel safe, loved, included, and encouraged to explore the world around them.
Family child care is uniquely positioned to create truly inclusive environments. In smaller settings, children of different ages naturally learn together. They celebrate one another’s successes, help each other, and quickly discover that everyone learns differently. Those everyday experiences build empathy in ways no lesson plan ever could.
Today, my work has expanded beyond my own child care program. As Founder and CEO of ECE on the Move, I advocate for family child care educators and for the children and families they serve. My belief is simple: child care systems only work when they work for every child. That includes children with disabilities. Families should never have to choose between affordable child care and inclusive child care. Accessibility cannot be an afterthought. It has to be part of every conversation about expanding early childhood education.
In 2022, I suffered a stroke and my life changed forever. Today I live with partial paralysis on my right side. My speech is sometimes affected, and my right hand no longer functions the way it once did. The physical recovery has been challenging, but the emotional recovery was even harder.
Looking back, I realize my entire career prepared me for this chapter. The patience I learned while supporting children. The creativity required to adapt environments so everyone could participate. The belief that every person deserves dignity, opportunity, and respect. Those weren’t just lessons for my work, they became lessons for my own life.
Living with a disability has given me an even deeper understanding of why inclusion matters. It’s not just about ramps or accommodations. It’s about removing barriers before they prevent someone from participating. It’s about recognizing abilities instead of focusing on limitations. It’s about creating systems that work for everyone, not just most people.
I proudly identify as a leader with a disability. Not because disability defines who I am, but because it has strengthened my voice and deepened my commitment to building a more inclusive future.
As educators, we have an incredible responsibility to lead with inclusion. Sometimes that means adapting an activity so every child can participate. Sometimes it means partnering with therapists, specialists, and families. Sometimes it simply means believing in a child before they believe in themselves. When children with disabilities learn alongside their peers from the very beginning, everyone benefits. Children learn kindness, patience, acceptance, and respect. They grow up understanding that differences are a natural part of life, not something to fear.
That’s the future I want to help build as an advocate; a future where every child belongs, where every family feels supported, and where every educator has the tools they need. This Disability Pride month, I hope you’ll join me in imagining a child care system that truly works for our communities. Together, we can build a future where child care is a guarantee for every child and family and create a child care system where the many abilities of every child can be nurtured and celebrated.
