by Chinmayi Palya
Note: This article is part of a series of student editorials submitted to the annual New York Times Editorial Contest. If you submitted an editorial and would like to be published on The Helix, please contact the Co-Editors-in-Chief.
A park playground. (Credit: Unsplash)
The fresh smell of woodchips. The creaking of metal swings. The swooshing from the friction of somebody cruising down a tunnel slide. Chances are, these childhood memories of playgrounds hold a special place in your heart.
Unfortunately, it isn’t something everyone was lucky enough to have. Countless children – 6.7 million in the U.S, to be exact – never got this experience. While playgrounds are a refuge for numerous youngsters, it is often an unattainable luxury for those with disabilities.
Withholding one of the most joyful and memorable parts of childhood, the playground, from children with disabilities is unacceptable.
Growing up with one of my best friends being wheelchair-bound opened my eyes to injustices people with disabilities faced, but I was struck the hardest during recess in elementary school. I would watch everybody run excitedly to the swings and slides as my friend was confined to the pavement outside of the perimeter, not even being able to enter due to the woodchips. I thought, why can’t playgrounds be made inclusive?
Nearly one in five people have a disability in the U.S, yet the majority of playgrounds aren’t built to be usable by them. While playgrounds don’t seem very important for people who have always had them available, it means the world to those without the same privileges. After driving hours to visit a wheelchair-friendly playground, Lisa Vaccino, who has a son with cerebral palsy, said, “When we got back into the car that day I didn’t even have to ask him. He said, ‘That was fun!’ That was a lot coming from him. That was huge.” Inclusive playgrounds are game-changers for children with disabilities and their parents.
And, although the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements have improved to require public playgrounds to have paths accessible by wheelchair, the difference between ADA-compliant and inclusive is stark. As Jill Asher, co-founder and co-executive director of the Magical Bridge Foundation, said, “Just because I can access something doesn’t mean I can enjoy it.” Although improvements are being attempted, there is still a very long way to go.
Wheelchair-accessible playgrounds not only open doors for children with disabilities and children without them to interact, but they also encourage a healthy lifestyle. Research shows that playgrounds strengthen childhood development by honing problem-solving and social skills, lowering stress levels, and helping fight certain chronic diseases.
Whether you’re a government official, a parent, an educator, or a high school student like me, you can do something to help. From donating to pre-existing foundations for wheelchair-accessible playgrounds to petitioning to construct such playgrounds to your city officials, you have the power to create change.
Every child deserves to be able to play on a playground!
Sources
Barber, M. (2018, July 20). Why cities need accessible playgrounds. Curbed. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://archive.curbed.com/2018/7/20/17582148/accessible-playgrounds-design-ada-standards-inclusive
Dmello, S. (n.d.). Shaun Dmello. Playground, Surfacing, Parks, Athletic, Aquatic, Play Professionals. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://playgroundprofessionals.com/playground/inclusion/why-it-necessary-make-playgrounds-accessible-all
Hughes, J. V. (2008, July 6). Playgrounds that welcome wheelchairs. The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/06Rplayground.html