A new initiative in Kent County is making strides to ensure that children with disabilities get the early literacy support they need long before they enter a traditional classroom.
Facilitated by
First Steps Kent with funding from the
Baker Family Foundation, the
Inclusive Literacy Alliance (ILA) launched in early 2025 as a collaborative, county-wide effort to improve early reading outcomes for children with developmental differences. The Alliance brings together parents, educators, service providers, and advocates to pilot solutions that make early literacy more accessible and effective for children who are blind or low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, or autistic.
Local organizations such as the
Kent District Library,
Kent ISD, the
Autism Alliance of Michigan,
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, and
Easterseals are active partners in the effort.
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Shelley Roossien, KDL accessibility and inclusion specialist, and Jennifer Headley-Nordman, president, First Steps Kent.
“A literacy journey that looks different”
Jennifer Headley-Nordman, president of First Steps Kent and one of the initiative’s leaders, says the Alliance was inspired by feedback from parents whose children with disabilities were struggling to access the early literacy resources they needed.
“A child who is deaf might need sign language or picture representations to connect to words they can’t hear. A blind child might need braille or tactile story props to bring reading to life. And a child with autism may interpret language literally, requiring different kinds of support to understand stories" she says. "These children need inclusive strategies right from the start — not years into their education.”
That early access is key.
“Too often, families are told to wait until kindergarten or first grade before full services are available,” Headley-Nordman says. “The Inclusive Literacy Alliance is working to change that.”
Lindsey VanDyke,
Early On coordinator at Kent ISD and a member of
Early On Kent ISD reinforces the importance of starting early.
“If you wait until third grade to say, ‘Oh, they’re not reading. Let’s figure it out now,’ you’ve missed so many years of opportunity for that child to be successful. We need to be thinking about literacy from birth, from the first interactions,” says VanDyke.
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"We need to be thinking about literacy from birth, from the first interactions." Lindsey VanDyke.Parents as partners, not afterthoughts
One cornerstone of the Alliance is the active involvement of parents, especially those who have navigated the confusing maze of early childhood services firsthand. Kristen Knapp, a speech-language pathologist and parent of two young children, is one of those parents.
“When my daughter showed signs of sensory processing and motor issues as a baby, I knew something was different,” Knapp says. “But getting anyone to listen, even with my professional background, was hard. I spent hours searching online, calling places, trying to figure out where to go.”
Knapp eventually found support through programs like
Bright Beginnings, but she says the journey was exhausting.
“There were so many resources — but no map,” she says. “You shouldn’t have to be a detective to find the help your child needs.”
Through the Alliance, Knapp is now helping shape that map.
“It’s been eye-opening to sit in a room with educators, librarians, health care providers, and other parents and realize we all want the same thing — better access, more collaboration, and a system that actually works for families,” she says.
VanDyke acknowledged that while the community is rich with resources, that can itself be a challenge.
“There are many opportunities for families to connect to educational and community-based resources," she says. "When there are a lot of resources, families can really struggle to navigate ‘What's the right thing for my individual child and my individual family?’”
After age three, many Early On services end.
“They have care coordination built in during Early On services, but after age three, that goes away and families feel a little bit more on their own," VanDyke says.
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A child learns how to use a braille reader.Building a more inclusive system
The Inclusive Literary Alliance is helping shift thinking about literacy and communication.
“We must learn to value and recognize all forms of communication — spoken language, sign language, gestures or pictures, assistive technology. Part of what we want to do with the Inclusive Literacy Alliance is raise awareness of those other forms of communication and help other community members honor those forms and support them within community groups like the library, at play groups, and especially in preschool.”
The Alliance is currently exploring several pilot strategies to better support early literacy: Centralized provider training on inclusive reading practices and accommodations; a simplified, family-friendly resource navigation system; expanded access to adaptive tools like braille books, communication devices, and tactile learning materials; and increased outreach to libraries, health care providers, and early learning programs.
VanDyke also stresses the importance of helping families and providers think proactively about accommodations.
“We want every child to reach their full potential, and we may have to go about that a different way based on their individual needs,” she says. “What are some accommodations we can put in place? And how do we transition that from home to the community to preschool and beyond?”
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Children enjoy this fun floor game to learn word recognition.From preschool to elementary — and beyond
For children with developmental differences, literacy success in elementary school often hinges on what happens before kindergarten. The Alliance’s two-year pilot is focused on making sure those early years are filled with the tools, access, and the support families need to help their children thrive.
For Knapp’s daughter, the difference has been profound. She is now thriving in reading and participating in community literacy events like therapy dog storytime at the local library.
“It’s not just about reading — it’s about being seen, supported, and included,” Knapp says. “That’s what the Alliance is trying to build for every child.”
VanDyke hopes the presence of the Alliance will create a more inclusive literacy ecosystem across Kent County.
“We’re working to build stronger processes of collaboration, clearer referral pathways, and expanded access to inclusive materials and programming. My hope is that we can create a community that supports and includes all children,” says VanDyke. “All children should enter elementary school with a way to communicate and express themselves — whether that’s spoken word, sign language, assistive technology, or pictures. We want parents to feel empowered helping their children acquire those skills, even if they may learn in a different way.”
As the Alliance prepares to host additional convenings throughout 2025, the message to families, educators, and policymakers is clear: literacy must be inclusive from the very beginning.
Knapp says, “What we want to hear is, 'We see you. We hear you. We’ve got you.'”
Dr. Brianna Nargiso, a graduate of Howard University and Mercer University, specializes in media, journalism, and public health. Her work has appeared in The Root, 101 Magazine, and Howard University News Service, covering profiles, politics, and breaking news. A Hearst journalism award nominee and active member of the National Association for Black Journalists, she has also worked with Teach for America and the Peace Corps. A doctoral graduate of American University, Brianna is dedicated to advancing social justice, public health and education on a global scale.
Photos by Tommy Allen
This article is part of Early Education Matters, a series about how Michigan parents, childcare providers, and early childhood educators are working together to are working together to create more early education opportunities for all little Michiganders. It is made possible with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.