Janna and Matt Toland's journey with Access began before their son Leighton came into the world in March 2008. Before the baby was born, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect.
"We knew that we wouldn't be sending him to the preschool that our daughter attended. So we toured Access and loved it," Janna Toland says. Leighton has been a student at Access since he was 7 months old.
Access is described as a "one-stop shop" for children and adults with language and learning disabilities and serves clients from 6 weeks old to 35. The school provides diagnostics, therapy, education (with a literacy-based curriculum and a customized, team-based, multi-sensory approach) and programming, including vocational programs and technology training. The year-round school serves more than 300 families each week.
"Normal's different for everybody," Matt Toland says. "Access helps us find that normalcy with our child. It's just close to a normal school experience ... It's a godsend for us."
The Tolands are serving as co-chairmen of Access' 19th annual Starry Starry Night gala, which made its debut in the school's first year of operation. The affair has grown from a backyard bash to a seated dinner for 500. It bears a different theme each year, often a literary tie-in with the mission of Access. This year's event is 6-10 p.m. Feb. 23 at Robinson Center.
The couple are only too happy to help make others aware of what they consider to be one of the city's best-kept secrets.
"I feel like volunteering at Access is kind of a combination of what a Parent Teacher Association would do," Janna Toland says. "You want to cover what your school needs, or what your therapy facility needs -- whatever it may be."
Janna Toland has served on the Starry Starry Night committee for about seven years and has enjoyed all the various aspects of planning it but admits that the job as co-chairman "is probably the most intimidating."
She compares it to her job as an interior decorator. "It's just nitty-gritty, doing it all. But that lets you see all the dynamics of what our school is able to do, the magnitude of who they serve and just the ins and outs of where they need help."
The Tolands are overseeing close to 20 volunteers on a planning committee. The day of the event, that number will swell to 30 or more. Janna Toland is lending her decorating expertise to the ballroom, which is to be transformed into a landscaped, fanciful, elevated garden.
"If you look at the Access logo, it's kind of a key," she says. "I've taken that over into the garden theme -- the key to entering the garden. And it's kind of a hidden treasure, the way that Access is a hidden treasure for Little Rock." Meanwhile Matt Toland, an Acxiom account executive by day, is "moonlighting" as the builder of platforms to be painted and used as props.
The event will have as a focus the school's horticultural program, which serves all ages. The fruit of the students' labors is sold at Access' biennial plant sale, which is staffed by the school's young adults. Some of the plants will be featured at Starry Starry Night. Additional highlights will include a silent auction, a live auction with items such as an outside starlit garden party in the new greenhouse at Access, and a special appeal for outright donations.
Starry Starry Night raised more than $300,000 last year alone, according to Krysten Levin, marketing and special events manager for Access Group Inc. That's a big jump from the $17,000 raised during the inaugural event. Organizers hope to maintain the momentum, especially to help replenish the school's tuition assistance fund. This assistance is said by officials to be Access' biggest need as tuition is approximately $9,000 per year and about one-third of families receive some form of assistance.
Leighton, now 8 years old, has blossomed at the school, his parents say, and they want to see other parents of special-needs children be able to benefit, as well.
"We would never have seen the type of growth and acceleration that we have without having Access around," Matt Toland says. "Just him learning how to be around other kids, learning how to play, learning letters and numbers and how to talk and how to balance himself. He has a lot of issues, but it really helps him get to a normal level, and we see that every year. And people comment on it, too. It's really satisfying for us as parents and as supporters of this school."
He doesn't think of the school as being so much for his family as for all the families represented there, some of whom moved to the area so their children could receive services.
"I hate to think about people in small towns that don't ... pardon the pun, don't have access to a place like Access."
Seating to the 19th annual Starry Starry Night is limited. Tickets are $200. For tickets and information, contact Krysten Levin at (501) 217-8600.
High Profile on 02/05/2017