Inclusive playground in New Albany provides fun space for all ability levels
May 20—NEW ALBANY — The opening of an inclusive playground at a New Albany park is a game-changer for New Albany resident Vanessa Archibald and her 10-year-old son, Isaac, who has special needs.
Isaac has a brain malformation that affects fine motor abilities, hearing and other aspects, and it is difficult to find an accessible playground that fits his needs.
However, the new playground at Kevin Hammersmith Memorial Park in New Albany allows him to safely soar on a swing set, glide on a zip line and splash in water with other kids.
"Kids and adults like Isaac need stimulus...and it's hard to get that," she said. "To see the same stuff every day at home is great, but it's great for their minds to be able to see other areas of life and to get out into the community," Vanessa said.
On Friday, the Archibalds were among those who enjoyed a preview of the new inclusive playground and splash pad, which is open for all ages and abilities. The grand opening will be Saturday at 1 p.m.
The accessible playground, operated by Floyd County Parks and Recreation Department, was a $1.3 million project in the works for about six years. The project received funding from donations and grants.
Students from Mt. Tabor Elementary in New Albany received special access to the playground on Friday, and adults served by Rauch, Inc. and New Hope Services visited earlier in the week.
The space includes play equipment ranging from swing sets to a "giggle box" with various audio features. The splash pad includes spray jets and a giant bucket that dumps water on people's heads.
Isaac is loving the playground, Vanessa said. She appreciates that her son can easily be secured while playing on features such as the swings and zip line, and he particularly enjoyed the swings wide enough for his mother to swing with him.
Beth White, a physical therapy assistant at New Albany-Floyd County Consolidated School Corp., appreciates that ramps are located throughout the playground, which features interactive play that students with various disabilities can safely enjoy.
"Even students who are not confined by a wheelchair also may have balance issues or other physical challenges, and so a student who has those physical challenges can access this playground equipment much easier than a typical playground because of all the access points...it's amazing," White said.
Mindy McKnight, special education teacher at Mt. Tabor Elementary, encouraged local officials to bring the park to New Albany, and it has been rewarding to see it come to fruition.
"Six years ago, I had a big dream that our children in New Albany-Floyd County needed a space where typical children and children with special needs could play together," she said. "On field day at school, we would have a difficult time with standing in line, taking our turn, staying contained...we would go to Jeffersonville to a park, and that park would not hold all of our classes that we have now."
McKnight then got in touch with Floyd County Park Superintendent Roger Jeffers and Floyd County Director of Operations Don Lopp, and she told them about the need for an inclusive playground in the county.
Friday was Mt. Tabor's field day, and she was excited for the students to come to "our own park here in New Albany." The kids had a "blast," she said.
McKnight said she saw kids using walkers and wheelchairs, which are easy to use on the rubber surface covering the playground.
"Some kid are just not real steady on their feet, and this has been amazing — if they fall, they're not going to cut their knees like they would on concrete, they're not going to get the splinters like they would on mulch," she said. "So this is the best of the best."
The playground has gone above and beyond McKnight's dream.
"I never ever could have dreamed this big," she said. "These kids deserve it. They deserve this play place. They can be safe. There's only one gate in and one gate out. Parents can let their kids be kids. They can be free. They can play with other children and not be judged. They can learn about the different disabilities that their friends have."
Taylor Bowman, a kindergarten teacher at Mt. Tabor Elementary, said she loves that "kids finally have a place to play for them."
"We don't have all the equipment for these kids, especially our friends in wheelchairs," she said. "Especially the water park —it's at their level, their height, and it's stuff that they can do."
New Albany resident Samantha Frank came to the playground Friday with her 6-year-old son, Samuel, who has cerebellar atrophy. His condition affects his balance, coordination and speech.
"It means the world to us — being in Floyd County and actually having a place within 10 minutes from home to take our son to where he can actually use his walker to play on the playground," she said. "It's easier on his knees, because the mulch on other playgrounds hurts his knees."
The playground allows Samuel to get out of the house and interact with other kids, she said.
"This is just perfect for him," she said. "And there are so many different things to do, there's no way he'll get bored."
