A friend of ours forwarded us this link http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/CountyExecutive/NewsRelease/2009/10-09-09.html. The article talks about Let All the Children Play Foundation (LATCPF), a not-for-profit charitable foundation that promotes inclusion of children with disabilities and their able-bodied peers is building a state-of-the-art two acre universally accessible park and playground at Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY. The park will offer inclusive play opportunities and challenges for all children, including adapted structures, ramps and swings, as well as accommodations for parents with disabilities, including accessible parking, washroom facilities, pathways, and seating.
For those of you who live in this area, the playground is expected to be completed by summer of 2010.
I remember it like it was yesterday one of the most painful memories I have related to dealing with Jake's disability was walking by neighborhood parks. I heard children laughing, I saw children running free like birds, and parents sitting on the benches chit chating with each other, or just looking at their children playing. But here I was, pushing a child in his stroller who was unable to walk, talk, relate to his surroundings, let alone play in the playground. I avoided walking by the parks as much as I can, but then Jake's therapists were always telling me, "take him to the park, let him watch other children play, maybe he will want to follow..." So holding back tears I took Jake to the playgrounds as often as I could. The only thing he could do at the time was sit in those baby swings, and as I pushed him on the swings, i tried my hardest to block the happy images and the sounds around me, but still, almost every single time, I walk away from the park with tears rolling down my face. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Fast forward to today, seven years later I am no longer as sensitive and I am able to take Jake to the playgrounds without having a meltdown. But still parks and playgrounds aren't my favorite places to take him because there, it is so obvious that he is different, that he is disabled, that he can't play the way his able bodied peers can...it is there I am forced to face the reality that instead of planning what college my child will go to, and dream of how many children he will have, we must plan out who will be his care giver when we can no longer care for him.
Ok, so after all of these sentimental looking back moments, I am really looking forward to this park being open. A place where children like Jake can play on adapted swings, and walk with their walkers/wheelchairs on ramps, and where parents like us can take our children to without feeling so alone.
So it is date, we will see you at the park...hopefully they don't run out of funds in the middle of the project!
