Cool Kid Madigan Roll encouraging volunteers to help those with special needs

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Our ABC7 Cool Kid for Thursday, March 26, is Madigan Roll, who is extending a helping hand to those with special needs and disabilities.

She is a competitive swimmer who loves spending her time volunteering with the Special Olympics.

"Some kids come and they're afraid to put their face in the water. So knowing that I had some small part in helping them and sharing my love for swimming is very rewarding," she said.

She is so involved that she started the "Helping Hands" club at Burbank High School to recruit more student volunteers for the Special Olympics.

Madigan also wants to educate people about being more sensitive when talking about others who have intellectual or physical disabilities. She organized a campaign called "Spread the Word to End the Word," which aimed to get rid of the word "retarded."

At an assembly several special needs students joined her to give their point of view.

"They told them how the 'R' word makes them feel. How it makes them feel like they're isolated, different from everyone else, not a part of the school," she said.

Madigan wants to make everyone more aware of the issue, not just students at her high school.

"It's hurtful whether you're using it to describe a test you didn't like, a person you don't like, or a person with intellectual disabilities - it's all hurtful," she said.

Now as the senior plans for college, she knows whatever path she takes that volunteer work will always play a big role in her life.