New Playground Ensures Everybody Plays [Video]

Special needs students can play more comfortably and safely now thanks to a new playground at Second Hill Lane Elementary School.

"We saw a need in our town for more recreational activities for kids with special needs," said Sarah Calzone, vice president and co-founder of Stratford Special Education Parent and Teacher Association (SEPTA).

Calzone said Second Hill Lane is the only elementary school in town that houses preschool special needs students, which includes kids with autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome and physical handicaps. 

She said the playground those children were using at the school was too big for them to play safely on. So in November 2010, Calzone started talking to local educators and town officials about building a handicapped-accessible playground on the school grounds. 

And within 10 months time, a playground that features a handicapped-accessible ramp and softer ground -- more ideal for children with walkers and wheelchairs -- became a reality.

Funding from a grant obtained by the Stratford Board of Education covered $90,000 of the project's estimated $116,000 price tag, and another grant from the town's department of public works financed $25,000, said Calzone.

Local businesses also pitched in.

A pancake breakfast sponsored by the Stratford Rotary Club raised more than $1,300, which was "an essential part" of including the playground's ramp, said Calzone. Local businesses that donated to the fundraiser included Jake's Wayback Burgers and Sikorsky Credit Union.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mayor John A. Harkins is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 25.

Watch the video to learn more about the design of the new playground.

What do you think of the new playground? Tell us in the comments section below.