Disabilities challenge how affected individuals and their families go to school, go to work, and even spend time at a playground.

Do you remember what recess was like when you were in school? For most kids, it is their favorite time of the day. Unfortunately, many students do not have the opportunity to experience recess the way their peers do. Have you ever noticed how many playground surfaces are covered with mulch, pebbles or even sand? Can a child in a wheelchair move across that space? Even most playgrounds that have handicap friendly surfaces have little to no equipment that a child in a wheelchair can access.

Play is an essential component in the lives of children. Play directly affects our physical, mental, emotional, and social well being. Through play, we are able to define who we are and who we want to be. We are able to improve our physical fitness, build skills, work on problem solving, practice communication, set goals, share expectations, understand roles, and develop friendships.

Just because a child has a disability, does not mean their need for play is lessened. While play promotes self-awareness, inclusion promotes community-awareness by involving both children with and without disabilities.

Through inclusion we are able to develop greater understanding of one another, our similarities, our differences, our likes, our dislikes. We are able to develop a sense of value for each individual as we grow the skills and attitudes needed to live in a culturally diverse, enriched community. Inclusive play facilitates a non-threatening environment that enables us to develop, grow and learn from one another at various paces. While one child may not be able to climb or swing as high as another, an inclusive, accessible play area will still enable both children to communicate and learn about one another and from one another. The point where the play area stops being accessible, is also the point where their ability to continue learning from one another stops. This also becomes the point where misperceptions have greater ability to grow.

Sara’s Garden and New Horizons Academy is looking to raise funds to create an inclusive playground for everyone… one that addresses the needs of typically developing children as well as children with neurological, intellectual and physical disabilities. Our goal is to design and create an inclusive playground that accommodates all children and challenges each of them at their own developmental levels.

There is a huge difference between a playground that is simply ADA compliant and one that is truly inclusive. Just because the equipment on a playground may be considered ADA compliant doesn’t necessarily enable a child with a disability to actually use or interact with any of it.

A truly inclusive playground goes far beyond ADA compliance in that it is designed to encourage children of all abilities to play with one another. It is a playground that has better surfacing, enabling a child using a wheelchair to maneuver through the playground easier. It is a playground that has activities to challenge children and is rich in sensory activities, social experiences and physical play. Most importantly, it is a playground that enables a child using a wheelchair to experience movement, play and independence along with their typically developing peers.

If you are interested in learning more about this project or would like to help us make this dream become a reality please feel free to contact Matt Rychener at 419.335.7272 or via email at mattr@sarasgarden.org.