Gordon Hartman, his wife Maggie and their daughter Morgan were at a hotel pool on a hot day in 2005. Morgan wanted to play with some vacationing kids at the pool like every other normal little girl. She approached the kids and her father witnessed the saddest thing happen to their young girl. The kids refused to play with Morgan.

Hartman knew then that something needed to change.

"It was at that moment I resolved to create opportunities and places where those with and without disabilities can come together not only for fun but also for a better understanding of one another," said Hartman.

His daughter was born with cognitive and physical disabilities. The kids at the pool, of course, did not understand that and were wary of her. Her parents wanted to create a place where disabled and non-disabled people could have fun together. The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation was founded in 2005 and Morgan's Wonderland opened five years later in 2010.

The water park -- located in Northeast San Antonio, Texas -- is credited as the first water park created with disabled people in mind. The park is supposed to be completely wheelchair-accessible. With more than 25 elements, the park features playgrounds, rides and other things people with and without disabilities can enjoy equally. Disabled people -- whether physical or cognitive -- also get in free with no questions asked.

The family calls the water park a "shrine of inclusion, an oasis of friendship, an unforgettable wonderland... Morgan's Wonderland".

The foundation is inspired to do as much as possible for the disabled community in Texas.

Morgan's Wonderland has seen visitors from all over the world. The park has seen nearly half a million guests per year.

Motivated by the success of Morgan's Wonderland, Hartman has now included the world's first splash park created with disabled people in mind -- Morgan's Inspiration Island.

"Like Morgan’s Wonderland, Morgan’s Inspiration Island is not a special-needs park; it’s a park of inclusion," Hartman said. "Both were designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for everyone’s enjoyment".

Overlooking Morgan's Wonderland's eight-acre catch-and-release fishing lake, the focus point is a seven-story lighthouse with a rotating beacon at the top. The $17 million splash park is tropically designed to give visitors a peaceful paradise. The park includes a River Boat Adventure ride, five water play areas including Rainbow Reef and Calypso Cove and places to eat.

Every element is wheelchair-accessible and waterproof. the wristbands come with Radio-frequency Identification technology so visitors will be able to easily locate their kids and guests. The part also offers the option to condition the water in Rainbow Reef so guests with a sensitivity to cold can still participate.

The splash park also wants people with expensive power chairs not to worry.

“We recently unveiled with the University of Pittsburgh revolutionary new wheelchairs propelled by compressed air,” Hartman said. “Our guests in expensive battery-powered wheelchairs can’t afford to get them wet, so we have special Morgan’s Inspiration Island PneuChairs available first-come, first-serve, along with two other waterproof wheelchair models – a push stroller type for guests needing assistance from a caregiver for mobility and a rigid-frame, manual wheelchair for guests who can push themselves. The first PneuChairs to go into service are prototypes that are already undergoing significant improvements”.

Hartman also points out the park has been designed with water conservation in mind. Water will be continuously filtered and recirculated. Water will also be stored in underground concrete tanks when the park is not operating.

Hartman also made sure to have local doctors, therapists, teachers and caregivers as water park consultants.

“In many ways, creating Morgan’s Inspiration Island feels a lot like it did when our team designed and built Morgan’s Wonderland with a focus on special-needs individuals – it’s never been done before," Hartman said. "For the past three years, we’ve been collaborating with water park consultants from Texas, Arizona, Florida and Canada as well as local doctors, special-needs therapists, special education teachers, parents and caregivers. We believe Morgan’s Inspiration Island will be tremendously popular because both children and adults in wheelchairs will be able to have fun in the South Texas sun”.

The splash park had its official opening this past Saturday. The park will be open every day for the Summer and in mid-August, it will be open on weekends.