Envisioning playgrounds that all kids could use

By Harold Gwin

City parks don’t have play equipment adapted for children with physical disabilities.

YOUNGSTOWN — When two educational assistants learned that children in their Medically Fragile Preschool Unit at McGuffey Elementary can’t use typical playground equipment found in city parks, they knew what they had to do: Build a playground.

What started as an idea by Deborah Duffy and Kim Rupe, both North Side residents, quickly grew into a plan and then a project they hope to have completed in Wick Park by the end of 2009.

They haven’t finalized the cost yet but said they’re looking to raise about $250,000 to fund the effort.

Duffy said they came up with the idea last fall when a couple of mothers of children in their class told them that they can take their disabled children to city playgrounds, but the children can’t play on the equipment. It’s not adapted for their use.

The two are clearly passionate about their work and what they intend to do.

“This is our city. These are our children. We want it for them. We want a place for them to go, a family place,” Duffy said.

“We’re looking at it through the kids’ eyes,” Rupe said. “We work with them every day. We know what they can do, we know what they can’t do.”

“It means so much to us to see our kids get to do these things. It’s important for their parents too,” Duffy added.

“Family involvement, community involvement are important to us,” Rupe said.

They approached McGuffey Principal Rachael Smith, who said she was behind the plan immediately.

The three enlisted the support of some other faculty and parents and formed “Wee Can Move, Too” — a name that reflects the children they intend to serve. They’re in the process of getting it recognized as a nonprofit organization by the IRS.

Rupe said they’ve targeted Wick Park as the proposed site of a playground that will have equipment that disabled children, even those who use wheelchairs, will be able to use, right along with children who have no disabilities. The playground will be open to everyone.

The idea is to add to facilities already in the park, she said.

Special equipment such as oversize low swings and a play structure with wide, gradual ramps that can accommodate wheelchairs, a lot of hands-on activities and a poured rubber ground cover to provide necessary solid footing will be central features. There will also be a picnic area.

They want to build the playground right in the center of the park adjacent to the pavilion that already has handicap-accessible restrooms.

The group, armed with drawings and renderings prepared by Rupe’s husband, Jason, a teacher at Trumbull Career and Technical Center, have already approached 3rd Ward Councilman Jamael Tito Brown and Mayor Jay Williams with their plan.

“I’m extremely excited at the prospect for that project,” Williams said, adding that he likes the fact that it will benefit a specific group of underserved children but also help to revitalize Wick Park.

The mayor said he has “no doubt” the project will succeed, based on the presentation made to him. “The passion that that group showed is contagious,” he said.

Brown said he “absolutely” supports the idea, adding that he was surprised to learn that, while city parks may be accessible to people with handicaps, the playground equipment isn’t.

“I was on board 100 percent,” Brown said, suggesting that the group next take its plans to a joint meeting of city council’s park and recreation committee and the city park and recreation commission.

Smith, who said the mayor is also very interested in the project, said they intend to go back to the city as soon as they have final design and cost figures.

Wee Can Move, Too is looking to engineering students at Youngstown State University to come up with the design.

The group told the students what equipment they want (which is available commercially) and basically where it should go, and the students are preparing several possible scenarios that should be ready for review within the next few weeks.

The need is there, Rupe said, pointing out that Mahoning County alone has 5,819 children with disabilities.

Duffy said she and Rupe did a lot of research, even finding a similar, larger playground in Beachwood, Ohio, that they examined, and arranging a presentation by David Williams & Associates of Alliance, representatives of GameTime, a company dealing in playground equipment.

The project falls right in line with the effort to revitalize Wick Park and the city’s overall 2010 revitalization plan, Smith said. It’s also close to YSU and the Rich Autism Center there, she said.

Duffy said they are a bit surprised at how quickly things are falling into place, as they originally proposed building the playground in 2010.

“People get really excited when we talk about it,” Rupe said.

Smith said the fundraising will target grant sources, private donors and individuals. There will also be scheduled fund-raising events, she said.

gwin@vindy.com