How 1 Mom Is Trying to Open a Hair Salon For People With Special Needs

If you're a parent, chances are you fully understand the struggle that is taking your child to the hair salon. The sight of those scissors probably sends them into a tantrum that can only be quelled by lollipops or bribes, making for one heck of a stressful experience. But one mom in Minnesota is seeking to make salon visits more painless for parents — specifically those who have children with special needs.

A mother of two daughters with disabilities (one with spina bifida and the other with developmental delays), Cat Rongitsch knows haircuts are no walk in the park for children with special needs. So she's decided to put her 10 years of hairstyling know-how to good use by starting a GoFundMe campaign to open a hair salon that caters to kids and adults with disabilities. The name of this salon? Dignified Beauty. How perfect is that?!

On the campaign's official page, Cat explained that she's aware of how average hair salons have certain obstacles she'll address to ensure hers is a safe space for all. "Will the building be accessible? Will there be loud music? Chemical smells? What if I need a break? How will the staff react to my differences? Getting a bad haircut can be low on the list of concerns," she wrote.

To get the job done, Cat plans to team up with medical professionals for advice on the best tools for accommodating and creating accessibility for people with physical or intellectual differences. But before she does so, she needs a little more monetary help to get the project off the ground. The mom has set her target goal at $25,000, with nearly $4,000 raised as of press time. If you'd like to help make Cat's accessible salon a reality, simply visit her GoFundMe page to make a donation.