ABOUT
Educating Outside The Lines is on the Leading Edge of Disability Awareness Programming for Schools K-8
Transforming Disability Awareness
Learning about disability is an essential component of teaching young people about diversity, equity, and inclusion. However many disability awareness programs fall short in actually making disability second nature for children to understand and accept. With the best intent, they are often delivered with an underlying tone of pitying and othering - and don’t truly meet children where they're at developmentally.
EOTL Academy offers something very different.
Our K-8 online programming instills a spirit of interest and acceptance that has the potential to create real change in the hearts of children, teachers, and even parents. Through developmentally-appropriate curriculum for each grade level, we elevate the perception of what it means to live with a disability. This is how we level the playing field and change the world… one school at a time.
378 Teachers
10,747 Students
39 Schools
OUR IMPACT AS OF 08/2023
Meet The Founder
Patty O’Machel, MSW
Patty O’Machel founded Educating Outside the Lines in 2018 after gaining a decade of experience in disability advocacy & education, and nonprofit program development & management. Over the years, she has worked with policy makers, medical professionals, social workers, nonprofit leaders, schools, and local communities as an advocate for social change. Patty's understanding of all aspects of disability runs wide and deep - on a personal, professional and social level. She knows that we can all live in a world with bullying and exclusion and greater connection by removing barriers of difference in the hearts and minds of our children.
Patty is the mother of three children - Finn, Shea and McKenna. Shea is a beautiful and talented 18 year old college freshman who uses a wheelchair. She always knew her daughter could do amazing things, and that’s proven to be true again and again. Shea loves to learn, travel, make art, bike, and hang out with friends. She goes through life on wheels, and that’s okay. For Shea, her wheelchair gives her the freedom to go to college, access her community, work, and live a full life.
Seeing past perceived limitations and finding the possibilities is a perspective shift that opens up new worlds of connection for all of us - and this shift is what Patty is skillfully creating in the minds and hearts of so many.
Patty and Shea
A Peek Into Our In-Person School Programming
(limited geographically)
"Our son felt EMPOWERED when he was diagnosed with ADHD."
– K.D., Parent
"EOTL gives my students the opportunity to learn through interacting with real people who have different abilities."
– C.B., Teacher
"The lessons were a huge hit with our kiddos!"
– B.C., Teacher
