Mostly, I write about adult life with a disability. I often write about acquired disability -- because that is my experience and, also, the experience of many people in my immediate vicinity. But there's another side to disability that I don't often write about -- life from birth with a disability. I know that growing up disabled is very different from my experience; I see flashes of it in conversation with friends, and I see flashes of a different community, one I can never know, when people who are disabled from birth are gathered together.
I've been thinking about these and other fissures in disabled community and about how I can learn.
Someone approached me in the gym to talk about supporting an accessible playground for children. I can't travel to the event, but I can publicize it here. For two reasons. If you are in the area, GO! If you know about how to create accessible playgrounds and can be a resource or have resources, please get in touch.
I was also struck by the importance of accessible public play space. I talk a lot about accessible architecture and the importance of accessible public space, but play space, as opposed to park or hiking space, hadn't occurred to me. I've written a little about hiking, walking, and trails here, here and here. Now, I'm thinking about playing and parks.
Kids With Dreams Field of Dreams Event
Kids with Dreams, a Stanford University social entrepreneurship group that serves to improve the lives of disabled children, is sponsoring an art and sports day for kids and families. There will be barbecue lunch available for purchase.
The Magical Bridge Playground is Kids With Dreams featured nonprofit organization. All proceeds will go to The Magical Bridge Playground.
The Magical Bridge Playground is a new kind of playground in the making. A park that, when built, will be accessible for people of all abilities so friends, families and children will have a place to come out and play together. Please visit http://www.magicalbridge.org/index.html
Kids with Dreams Field of Dreams
Date: Sunday, April 3rd, 2011
Time: 12:00pm-4:00pm
Location: Wilbur Field, Stanford Campus
What: Come to Wilbur Field Sunday, April 3rd to enjoy a day of fun for kids of all abilities!
For directions: /http://www.stanford.edu/group/kwd/events/
This is beautiful, thank you for posting and supporting our idea. I am the one who started the movement for building a fully-accessible playground in Palo Alto. We had 34 parks here and not one is accessible to those in wheelchairs. How shameful! We have a vision where everyone is welcome into our public parks, not just the able-bodied visitors.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by your unique gift as a dancer and, once this Sunday event is behind us, look forward to exploring ways to see you perform one day.
Thanks for speaking with my wonderfully energetic friend Stacey, and for supporting the Magical Bridge.
Yours in play, Olenka (olenka@magicalbridge.org)
I became disabled at age 8. I was also encouraged to pretend I was not disabled. My friends usually made accommodations for me, yet it would have been sweet to have an accessible play area.Oddly, I have not thought about this in years. Thanks for bringing up the topic.
ReplyDeleteI've been to two accessible playgrounds in the SF Bay Area -- St. Mary's in Bernal Heights, and Yerba Buena in downtown San Francisco. Both were totally fantastic. I could play with the kids and be there for everything, from my wheelchair. Both had more than just a rubberized surface - they had giant bridges and ramps and sloped hilly things I could play on.
ReplyDeleteReviewed here!
http://badgermama.com/like-a-mighty-stream/
and
http://badgermama.com/zooming-down-the-ramps/
On a practical note - something I haven't seen discussed much in accessible playgrounds circles is the issue of rubberised surfaces and latex allergy. Not all rubberised surfaces will be an issue, but some will. People with spina bifida are at particular risk for latex allergy.
ReplyDeleteI hope they're putting some attention into access for adults (parents/carers) with disabilities also. Some accessible playgrounds don't - apparently the only disabled people in the world are children!
Accessible playgrounds are not just for children. As a parent with a disability I struggle greatly to find a play ground where i could interact with my son.
ReplyDeleteImpeccable timing. I was just going to post about the warm weather and accessible park here in Maryland. In Bowie, there is a park called Opportunity Park and it is 100% accessible to parents and children with disabilities. It has two playgrounds and a fishing dock. Genesis, Daddy and I have gone there to play with other kids and we've have even gone there to eat lunch on the warm days.
ReplyDeleteThere as a ramp and rollway/walkway to interact with the kids at the top of the slide and around some of the other equipment. Genny's a toddler, so I don't get overly ambitious about going solo. The fishing pond is not fenced and I need someone to be able run after her in case she decides to chase the ducks and geese.
Allen Pond Park is a fabulous park for everybody. Check it out at City of Bowie [dot] org.
Briones Park in Palo Alto, on Arastradero Rd, is parent/child accessible. Flood Park in Menlo Park on Bay Rd is too--I worked on that one. Please go try it. It has some fun surprises. And although I couldn't stay on the job to check all of them afterwards, the 217 parks of San Francisco, from Golden Gate Park to Yerba Buena and St Mary's and Dolores Park down to neighborhood vest pocket parks, were all spec'ed to be parent/child accessible, by me as chief access consultant, and the MIG (Berkeley) survey/design team I was part of when SF paid us to do that job in 1990. Who else has tried the SF parks? ---yup, OldTimer
ReplyDeleteI'll try Flood Park, OldTimer! And yes, most of the parks here have some way I can get somewhere in them in a wheelchair, but what we're talking about here is being able to go everywhere and play on all the stuff. If you read my review of St. Mary's, it is fabulous for playing but you better not be disabled and have to pee...
ReplyDeleteWith all the parks it would be nice to have good maps and information that explains what is accessible to whom and what and how.
To badgermama--The SF Parks plan spec'ed restrooms in each to be accessible too, if there were any there to start with. If they didn't fund that....waah. I think the SF Parks Dept has a brochure on all parks' access. Have you asked them for such?----OldTimer
ReplyDeleteI see these all over L.A. There is a big one a Griffith Park. All the new equipment contains at least an accessible swing and I think it is great! It warms my heart to know another mother's child will not be excluded in things all kids should have a chance to enjoy.
ReplyDelete