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Saturday, July 29, 2006

Playgrounds for children with disabilities




Have you ever watched a child with a disability sit on the sidelines, unable to participate at a playground? It's one of the saddest and unfairest things about the whole deal handed to a kid who has a disability - that we haven't yet caught up with making playgrounds accessible to all kids.

In the pictures above, you can see that with some changes, playgrounds can be made accessible to wheelchairs. Transfer sections, like the girl in the wheelchair is using, can be installed. Merry go rounds can be placed on level, flat ground so children can get on from wheelchairs. Pathways can be made wider and paved. Swings can be available with belts so that children can ride them even if they lack full trunk control. On and on.

Look around your neighborhood. Are your playgrounds accessible ?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Our neighborhood built a new playground and did put some accessible equipment in for a little boy who needed it. Thanks for raising awareness. I'm sure more people would build new parks this way if they realized that kids needed it.

Shirley