Overlooking Kids with Special Needs
Many photographers think sessions with children who have special needs are difficult and not profitable. No so. “Most parents of children with disabilities don’t want pity and special treatment,” indicates Special Kids Photography of America, a nonprofit organization that provides training and accreditation for photographers who want to create beautiful images of children with special needs.
Parents, for the most part, yearn to have their special children mainstreamed into the school system as well as other parts of society—and that includes photographic services. They aren’t looking for a handout; however, they do want to work with a qualified photographer who can create a wall-worthy portrait of their child. When that happens, parents quickly pass that photographer’s contact information around. A photographer who recently achieved accreditation with Special Kids Photography of America (SKPA) shared this e-mail:
“I just wanted to share some exciting news with SKPA. The day I got your e-mail saying I passed [accreditation], I posted it on Instagram [and] I was featured in the Manteca Bulletin Newspaper—and today I got an e-mail saying that Good Day Sacramento wanted to do a live feature of me. Accreditation [with SKPA] snow-balled into all this!”
As SKPA points out, because of medical and therapy bills, etc., some families cannot afford a photographer. They advise photographers to “provide services according to what the heart dictates—and have a big heart.”
Laura Popiel originally built her successful business in Houston, TX, by focusing on children with special needs.