New Fully Adaptive, Wheelchair-Accessible Playground Unveiled

SHIRLEY, NY — In a heartfelt moment, a sea of children went running joyfully toward a new playground unveiled by the William Floyd School District this week.

The district celebrated the official ribbon cutting of the brand new, state-of-the-art, fully-adaptive, wheelchair accessible playground, a new resource available for the entire community to use and enjoy.

The playground, part of the capital project approved by voters in October, 2017, is the first of several completed projects to be showcased in the coming months. It is centrally-located at Nathaniel Woodhull Elementary School, the district said.

“This playground will provide all children, no matter their ability level, with the same opportunity to play,” said William Floyd School District Superintendent of Schools Kevin M. Coster, addressing district employees, a representative from the Special Education PTO and 140 students waiting to use the playground. “In addition to the wheelchair accessible surfacing, it provides swings with harnesses, which can be used therapeutically, auditory and sensory stations, and so much more."

Coster thanked residents for supporting the capital project and also, the Board of Education for their work in bringing this project to the community. He also gave a nod to Debbie Metz, the Commissioner of Kyle Sports for Special Needs, for her input in selecting the equipment; she has been also instrumental in working with the Town of Brookhaven to bring the Kyle Sports for Special Needs adaptive playground to Moriches athletic complex, the district said.

“I want to thank the community for its support because without that, today is not going to happen,” said Robert Vecchio, president of the William Floyd Board of Education. “Our community is worth investing in; it’s important that our families realize there are resources in and around this community for our kids — and kids of all needs and all ages — to enjoy a little play time.”