Real Talk with Rally Fellows: Dr. Lonna Hardin and Voiceblocks

December 27, 2024 | Education, Systemic Solutions

This post was written by Dr. Lonna Hardin, Summer ’24 Rally Fellow

Voiceblocks Levels Playing Field for 7.5 Million Students with Disabilities and the Neurodiverse

All children regardless of their disability or socioeconomic background deserve a bright future. For some, the family they are born into, financial status, or demographic location determines whether or not they get what they need to do that. Voiceblocks wants to change that. Our mission is to help special needs students from low-income communities access quality education to help move them out of poverty and thrive.

At age three, my daughter had not spoken one word. As a single parent navigating the early child development journey, I had no clue where to turn for help; however, the early learning home visitation readiness program my daughter was enrolled in would step in and be her guiding light.

After extensive evaluation, my daughter was labeled as having a learning disability and then given an Individual Education Plan or IEP. The IEP team was exceptional at educating me on the process. They explained how critical it was that I remain involved and present in the process. They also educated me on the importance of an IEP and how it was created to build a pathway for my daughter to get the help she needed.

In 2018, 10 years later, my daughter no longer needed those special accommodations outlined in an IEP. In 2021, her national test scores would show her in the top 14% of her peers for reading and math. In her senior year of high school, she graduated summa cum laude in the top 3% of her class.

With this experience, I developed the belief that all students should be given this same opportunity. Findings from the IDEA National Survey show that 78% of students with engaged parents meet or exceed their IEP goals, compared to 55% of students whose parents are less involved .

With that idea in mind, Voiceblocks was born.

Voiceblocks is an Edtech platform to help K-12th grade special needs families get what they need. We serve as an intermediary between families and schools. Our platform is a mediation and advocacy tool that takes a holistic approach to provide better communication with schools, education, IEP intervention, community, and more.

Why now?

COVID-19 impacted education as we knew it in unprecedented ways. Students living with disabilities under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act and those needing special education services were disproportionately impacted. The number of children needing accommodations skyrocketed.

Although the numbers increased, one thing that didn’t change was the education system, processes, procedures, and school districts they would return to. As children returned to school, many parents and caregivers carried extreme guilt feeling unequipped to manage their child’s education at home. They also carried the weight of knowing their child may struggle academically, socially, and behaviorally long-term.

Quality education took on new meaning. For those who could easily access it, it became even more of a gift. For some other parents of English language learners, high ability learners, those with behavioral issues, or even those with some other identified disability under the IDEA, the burden felt even greater.

Special needs rules, laws, and procedures set up to protect students and families to ensure they receive “A Free Appropriate Public Education,” became even harder to navigate. Communicating with schools, educators, and providers became even more overwhelming and daunting. A problem that already existed instantly grew and became even more strenuous and lonely.

The underlying root causes driving this issue can be traced back to three primary factors. First is systemic racial biases that disproportionately stigmatize students. Second is socio economic factors like poverty, economic hardship, and lack of stability that affect students from low income communities. Lastly, is a high staff turnover among special education teachers.

Our technology plans to impact five key social outcomes which include decreasing expulsions or suspensions and increasing school attendance and completion of IEP goals. Additional outcomes also include improving literacy rates, reading scores, as well as social, and behavioral outcomes.

At Voiceblocks, our beneficiaries are K-12th students with disabilities. As we continue to develop a product that will be high impact to help unblock millions of voices of special needs students, we will empower the people that serve them most. We are a software-as-a-service (SAAS) that provides annual subscription options to public schools, charter schools, and nonprofits that serve students with disabilities, and families.

What’s next?

Our vision at Voiceblocks is to expand the reach of our programs, remain focused on our mission, and improve student success, especially for underserved communities. As we move ahead, we’ll continue to solidify key partnerships, and launch programs and events to engage families, educators, and communities. We will continue to deliver meaningful results and drive educational change.

To join our waitlist or be notified when we launch, email us at info@voiceblocks.app. If you’re a family or district interested in piloting our program or testing our beta product, or if you’re a sponsor looking to partner with us, reach out to explore collaboration opportunities. We look forward to creating lasting impact together!