By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
As the adults were making speeches and cutting ribbon Tuesday afternoon, the children were busy spinning, sliding and swinging.
The young playground experts took their jobs as equipment testers very seriously.
Katelyn Elliot and her children Jacoby, almost 10, and Josie, 3, have been waiting for a playground where Jacoby could join in using his wheelchair. Regular playgrounds have been a real challenge for the family.
“We are so excited,” Elliott said, noting that Jacoby loves the sensation of spinning. Until the Rally Cap Sports Inclusive Playground opened at Bowling Green’s Carter Park, there has been little opportunity.
“Not without a great deal of effort and anxiety,” the mom said.
The new playground also gives the siblings a chance to play together on the same equipment that accommodates people of all abilities.
“That’s really exciting. They can be on stuff at the same time,” Elliott said.
Amanda Gamby, with two children ages 6 and 12, likes the idea of her children playing side by side with others who need some type of accommodations.
“This is an opportunity for them to learn from each other,” she said.
Her son, Lucas, 6, had already tried out the playground with Grant, the son of Ryan and Kaley Wichman.
“Grant was rolling down the hill, and my guy hadn’t even thought of that yet,” Gamby said.
On Tuesday, Lucas and Grant were back at play, with Lucas trying out the swings, and Grant shooting down a slide.
“Again,” Grant shouted to his mom as soon as he reached the bottom of the slide.
The playground is designed for all ages – a fact not lost on Eric Rine, 22, who uses a wheelchair. Rine said no such inclusive playgrounds existed in this area when he was a child.
“This is every little kids’ dream who hasn’t been able to play on a playground,” he said.
One of the features is a swing large enough for an adult wheelchair. Rine, who has never been able to swing in his chair, said he may have to give it a try.
“I might,” he said, with a grin.
The playground will finally allow Sandy Sundermeier, who uses a wheelchair, to play with her grandchildren – right next to them rather than watching from afar because of barriers in her way.
“I’m so excited. When my grandkids come up, I can go to the playground with them,” said Sundermeier, a board member at the Ability Center, “This is a great addition to our neighborhood.”
The Wichmans started the inclusive playground effort a few years ago after realizing that no playgrounds in this area are built for children who use wheelchairs or those who struggle with other barriers found at most playgrounds. That meant Grant could not play with his friends.
Ryan Wichman, a meteorologist with Channel 11 News, and others with the Wood County Plays organization built the first inclusive playground in Perrysburg.
A group of families came together and said, “We can do better,” Wichman said. The committed parents held meetings at 9 p.m., after their children had been put to bed, he said. A special recognition was given to Margie Harris, who acted as the glue holding together the project, Wichman said.
It was on opening day of the Perrysburg playground that Wichman was approached by Bowling Green officials.
“The city of Bowling Green already knew they needed a play space like this down there,” Wichman said.
Mayor Mike Aspacher said he initially couldn’t envision a truly inclusive playground. But the picture became reality with the community working together.
“This is an unbelievable addition to the Bowling Green community, to the Wood County community,” Aspacher said. “I’m really proud of the Bowling Green community today.”
In addition to local businesses that provided expertise and labor, and local residents who volunteered, the city’s public works, utilities, engineer and park and recreation departments spent more than 1,000 hours on the project.
The Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities also pitched in.
“We were very proud to play a small part,” said Wood County Superintendent Brent Bair. “This is a park where everyone can play together.”
The inclusive playground will provide an opportunity for children and adults to share their strengths, weaknesses and personalities, Bair said.
“We are better together,” he said.
Bair thanked the city of Bowling Green for being so welcoming to the idea.
Just building the playground equipment took more than 150 volunteers, who spent more than 4,000 hours putting the pieces together.
Also helping was Rally Cap Sports, started by 1975 BGSU alumnus Paul Hooker. A Rally Cap chapter was formed at BGSU, with students and faculty volunteering to help with the project.
Children and adults of all abilities are welcome at the Rally Cap Sports Inclusive Playground. It will provide individuals, who are physically, mentally, or emotionally challenged, the opportunity to grow and learn through sensory-stimulating activities and peer-to-peer interactions.
The playground is wheelchair and walker accessible through extensive ramping, rubber surfacing, and specialized play equipment. Fencing surrounds the playground for children with sensory disorders who may run away. The poured rubber surfacing is coded for children with visual impairments to highlight danger areas.
There is a giant hollow log structure that kids can roll through in their wheelchairs. There is a 6-foot rubber hill, safe for kids to climb up or roll down. Unlike typical playgrounds, this one is reachable by a sidewalk, not stairs to the tallest slides.
The playground also features the first wheelchair swing in Bowling Green, which is designed for easy access and ensures that all can experience the joy of gliding through the air. And for thrill-seekers, a seven-foot-high climbing course will challenge their ability to race to the top.
There is also musical equipment, including a giant xylophone.
More information on the new inclusive playground and the mission of Wood County Plays can be found at wcplays.org.
