Hi John! I'm new to Substack (and one of the lurkers you referenced earlier this week). By way of introduction, I 1) am a real person and 2) have two kiddos with physical disabilities. I'm not sure how I landed here, but I started reading this as a way to organize my scattered thinking on what is happening in Washington and the broader culture around accessibility, Title 1, etc. The strange irony is that in some ways, I have never felt MORE momentum on improving accessibility where I live than this past year. It's bizarre to see what's happening nationally and good to be reminded of the power of local change.
Anyway, you asked for pictures, and I have none yet. But here in Boston, we applied for and got a $900K+ Community Preservation Act grant to make the under-5 playground at my sons' school, a dual-language inclusion school, fully accessible. This is a huge win for students, but the extra great thing is that the playground will be open after school hours to the entire community.
Thanks for spotlighting great stories like this, too, especially when it can feel like the winds are changing.
Jessica, it's wonderful to learn about the prospects for the playground at your school! That's the kind of news I like to hear! Thanks for nudging maintaining the momentum.
Hey John, we have an Inclusive park here in Wilmington. There are two parts to it. One side is for very young children and toddlers and the other side is for older children. Everything has ramps for access or is closer to the ground so someone in a wheelchair can access it to play. There are several types of inclusive swings, including one that allows a wheelchair to roll right up in it and be fastened down so the person can swing like the other kids. It's such a great place and it is used a lot during the spring, summer, and fall by all sorts of kids and families.
It is part of our county park system and the Facebook page has several picture albums with photos ranging from the empty space before it was built through construction and more recent with it being used by kids. It is part of our big city park which has all the sports courts (pickleball, tennis, basketball, softball fields, soccer fields, etc.), a couple of skate parks for the skateboarders, many shelters for picnickers, a pond with ducks, and multiple playground areas, and a bike/walking trail.
Hi John! I'm new to Substack (and one of the lurkers you referenced earlier this week). By way of introduction, I 1) am a real person and 2) have two kiddos with physical disabilities. I'm not sure how I landed here, but I started reading this as a way to organize my scattered thinking on what is happening in Washington and the broader culture around accessibility, Title 1, etc. The strange irony is that in some ways, I have never felt MORE momentum on improving accessibility where I live than this past year. It's bizarre to see what's happening nationally and good to be reminded of the power of local change.
Anyway, you asked for pictures, and I have none yet. But here in Boston, we applied for and got a $900K+ Community Preservation Act grant to make the under-5 playground at my sons' school, a dual-language inclusion school, fully accessible. This is a huge win for students, but the extra great thing is that the playground will be open after school hours to the entire community.
Thanks for spotlighting great stories like this, too, especially when it can feel like the winds are changing.
Jessica, it's wonderful to learn about the prospects for the playground at your school! That's the kind of news I like to hear! Thanks for nudging maintaining the momentum.
Hey John, we have an Inclusive park here in Wilmington. There are two parts to it. One side is for very young children and toddlers and the other side is for older children. Everything has ramps for access or is closer to the ground so someone in a wheelchair can access it to play. There are several types of inclusive swings, including one that allows a wheelchair to roll right up in it and be fastened down so the person can swing like the other kids. It's such a great place and it is used a lot during the spring, summer, and fall by all sorts of kids and families.
Jane, great report! Thank you!
Is there a Web site for the park? Is it part of a local city or county parks-and-recreation operation that people can visit virtually?
It is actually a Facebook page for it. This page is the county website that links to the park's Facebook page: https://co.clinton.oh.us/maps/location/https//www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community-Organization/Little-Hearts-Big-Smiles-301440965333/
It is part of our county park system and the Facebook page has several picture albums with photos ranging from the empty space before it was built through construction and more recent with it being used by kids. It is part of our big city park which has all the sports courts (pickleball, tennis, basketball, softball fields, soccer fields, etc.), a couple of skate parks for the skateboarders, many shelters for picnickers, a pond with ducks, and multiple playground areas, and a bike/walking trail.
Thanks