Promoting a Handicap Accessible Playground for Paton School

About 10 years ago, parents got together to fund a new playground at for all children to attend.

Unfortunately, the playground is not handicap accessible for children and parents who are wheelchair users and/or use crutches or walkers to be mobile.

Last week, I saw a parent who is a mobility user having difficulty being mobile in the playground due to the wood chips placed on the floor of the playground. This parent asked an able-bodied family member to watch her child play in the playground as a result.

I have tried to contact a few members of the Committee via email to ask if the design of the new playground has been developed and promotes accessible features. No one has responsed to my request. I also contacted the Shrewsbury Commission on Disabilities to inquire whether or not they have seen the design for this new playground. No one has responded to my email requests.

I am not sure why no one is responding to my email requests. Maybe the design has not been created yet; however, it would be courteous if someone emailed me with this information. I am not sure why this "white elephant" of promoting accessible features are not being talked about or communicated to the public.

In 2006, I went out to the Boundless Playground in Providence, RI to do a show on a true handicap accessible playground for all children and parents to participate in. Boundless Playgrounds is a nonprofit organization founded by a mother who son died of a childhood health condition several years ago.

The organization's goal is build a playground from bottom to top with all handicap features in place for all to play. Two video clips of my show can be previewed on youtube.

A few suggestions to the Paton Committee for building a new playground:

1) Please use either an asphalt floor or a matted floor so all can participate in the playground. Wood chips are not disability friendly to mobility users.

2) If you plan to buy equipment that has several playground features attached to it, please purchase one that has a ramp that starts at the bottom of the structure and then another ramp that ends at the top of the attraction.

3) Please purchase a sensory swing structure that blocks the noise of the playground environment for children with autism to use.

As a town resident, voter and taxpayer, I don't know why no one has responded to my request. Remember all kids are kids, and they just want to have fun.