Rehm Park Reopens With New Accessible, Inclusive Play Areas

Press release from the Park District of Oak Park:

Sept. 25, 2021

On Sunday, September 26, the long-awaited re-opening of the Park District of Oak Park’s Rehm Park playground will begin with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. to celebrate the playground’s new accessible, inclusive play equipment for all children.

An Illinois Department of Natural Resources grant was awarded to the Park District in January 2020 for $400,000 in support of this project, which includes a new playground with an ADA-accessible synthetic turf playground surface, a picnic pavilion, restrooms and the relocation of the west entrance from the center of the playground to north of the playground to heighten safety. As part of the Park District's Capital Improvement Plan, the west side of Rehm Park was scheduled to be renovated in spring 2021, but was postponed due to COVID-19.

Community members with expertise in accessibility and inclusion provided insights into the special needs of our community, highlighting the importance of making something accessible for people of all abilities, ages, sensory, behavioral and cognitive needs.

Some of the new features added to the facility include:

· The Portland Loo - a permanent, year-round bathroom

· We Go Round – wheelchair accessible in wheelchairs, or anyone who needs assistance getting around

· Double zip line – kids of all abilities can race side by side

· Cozy dome – a structure which provides a place for kids to gather, or a quiet place to relax

· Roller slide – a slide that provides a tactile sensory experience

“We are incredibly proud of creating an accessible, inclusive environment for our children to gather in the Oak Park community,” said Jan Arnold, Executive Director of the Park District of Oak Park. “This space supports our mission to promote inclusiveness in all areas and give all children a safe, fun place to play.”

Following the opening ceremony, the Park District will host its Fall Fest event to kick off its fall programming. At Rehm Park, there will be a rock-climbing wall, inflatable obstacle course and video game truck, giant potato-sack slide, a few food vendors, and more. In addition to the brand new playground, over at the Oak Park Conservatory, each child can pick out a FREE pumpkin (while supplies last), participate in a scavenger hunt through the Conservatory showrooms and enjoy fall décor, all thanks to the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory.

For more information, please visit https://www.pdop.org/parks-facilities/rehm-park-renovation/.

This press release was produced by the Park District of Oak Park. The views expressed here are the author's own.