{"id":152593,"date":"2025-08-17T07:43:22","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T07:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/152593\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T07:43:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T07:43:22","slug":"empowering-voices-kendra-franks-initiative-in-fort-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/152593\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Voices: Kendra Frank’s Initiative in Fort Worth"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a world filled with chatter and exuberance, the inability to communicate can feel like an insurmountable wall. Kendra Frank knows this all too well. As the founder of\u00a0Elliott\u2019s\u00a0Voice<\/a>, a nonprofit based in Fort Worth, she is committed to ensuring that no one has to navigate the world without a voice \u2014 literal or metaphorical.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elliott\u2019s\u00a0Voice sprang from\u00a0Frank\u2019s\u00a0personal experience as a mother. Her youngest son, Elliott, born amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was diagnosed with childhood apraxia of speech, a condition that\u00a0hampers his ability to coordinate the muscles required for speech even though he understands language perfectly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe noticed something was different,\u00a0but\u00a0everybody kept saying,\u00a0\u2018Wait,\u2019\u201d\u00a0Franks says about\u00a0Elliot\u2019s\u00a0development.\u00a0\u201cHe could say\u00a010 words, and then he lost\u00a0’em\u00a0all. And so they kept telling me,\u00a0\u2018Wait and see,\u2019\u00a0and I was like,\u00a0\u2018No,\u00a0there’s something wrong.\u2019\u00a0So I kept pushing and pushing, and finally we got a diagnosis.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elliot was eventually diagnosed with autism level two on top of his apraxia of speech, which answered some questions for Frank, but also opened a whole realm of new ones. She quickly took matters into her own hands, diving into the world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), researching and advocating for alternatives that would allow her son to express his needs and desires. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

At first, several tech solutions proved to be beneficial, but after a hot day-trip to the Fort Worth Zoo, Frank says she had to think quickly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHis iPad just shut down,\u201d\u00a0she says.\u00a0\u201cAnd I was like,\u00a0\u2018What am I going to do?\u2019\u00a0He\u00a0can’t\u00a0talk. And\u00a0we’re\u00a0just trying to figure it out.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Luckily, Frank had a low-tech laminated board with a few common symbols on it to help with the situation. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I started thinking,\u00a0\u2018Why\u00a0can’t\u00a0every public place have a low-tech board kind of like this?\u00a0‘\u201d\u00a0she asked. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

From parks and zoos to emergency vehicles, Frank envisioned a community where communication boards \u2014 simple laminated sheets with symbols and words \u2014 would be available to all, ready to bridge the gap for those who struggle to articulate their thoughts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Fort Worth Zoo heard Frank out and now has a communication board as well as several other Fort Worth institutions like the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Botanic Garden, the Carter, and the Kimball. And, according to Frank, the Fort Worth Library will soon have this resource as well. Shoot \u2014 even the Dallas Arboretum has one. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNow a child can simply point to express their needs, whether\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0at a baseball game or a library.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0about making DFW more inclusive,\u201d\u00a0she explains. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The nonprofit has also ventured into partnerships with local first responders, placing emergency communication boards in 18 cities, allowing children and adults alike to convey critical information during times of crisis. As Frank emphasizes,\u00a0\u201cA picture is universal \u2014 regardless of language, it communicates.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet spreading the word about this initiative\u00a0hasn’t\u00a0been without its challenges. Many municipalities initially turned Frank\u00a0down, thinking she was trying to sell them something. However, she persisted, eventually winning a few city councils over. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The fact of the matter is, the communication boards \u2014 yes, there are several iterations of them made for specific events and places \u2014 are entirely free. Frank says she creates the designs and laminates each board herself. And if you happen to see her at a local event, chances are\u00a0she\u2019ll\u00a0be more than happy to give you one.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0even a scan code on each board that will pop up on your phone for you to use whenever needed. Frank has also created a bilingual board with easy-to-understand symbols written in Spanish for both first responders and civic areas. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since launching her initiative two years ago, Frank has become an active member of the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at Burton Hill Elementary. She has also secured a position on the Special Ed Parent-Teacher Association for Fort Worth ISD. Additionally, she was sworn in to the Fort Worth\u00a0Mayor’s\u00a0Committee on Persons with Disabilities. This summer, the City of Fort Worth proclaimed May 14 as Childhood Apraxia of Speech Day, an endeavor that was brought to the city council’s attention with the aid of Frank’s efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0everything to me,\u201d\u00a0she admits.\u00a0\u201cWhen my son goes out in the world, I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want him to feel different or invisible. With these communication aids, he can stand shoulder to shoulder with his peers.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n