My hiking today took me to a small gem of a nature spot: the Jenni and Kyle Preserve.
The paths are paved with asphalt to facilitate wheelchair transport, and the three wooden bridges/docks on the ponds project out so that those in wheelchairs can have direct access to the water for fishing (permitted in the preserve only for those under age 14). But what really intrigued me were the two wheelchair-accessible swings:The vision for the Jenni and Kyle Preserve began in 1989 with a donation from Harvey and Patricia Wilmeth, given as a memorial to their two grandchildren, Jenni and Kyle, who both died at the age of 4 due to a degenerative neurological disorder. The Jenni and Kyle Preserve is unique in that the park is intended to serve children and persons with disabilities, and provides accessible fishing and picnic areas, trails, wheelchair swings, and a shelter building around two spring-fed ponds containing trout and panfish.
The swings have fold-down ends to allow roll-on, roll-off entrance/exit and a number of security chains.
Very nicely done. More cities and towns should have such facilities.
Fantastic! I know even as an adult, if I were confined to a wheelchair, a swing like that would make my day. What a beautiful legacy that family has left the community.
ReplyDeletewow, i like that swing but the chains don't look sturdy enough for most chairs plus the person in it. I like the idea of an accessible park.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!!
ReplyDeletewe recently drove across the country and stopped overnight in Cleveland, OH. visited a park and they had a swing that was, i believe, built for kids or adults who couldn't sit up on their own, or even hold up their head. it looked vaguely like this one: http://www.accessibleplayground.net/2010/12/25/kits-beach-playground-makes-fun-accessible-for-all/ but the difference was in the handles. it had a matching lever/handle on either side with a simple mechanism/lever action that allowed even someone with very little muscle mass to be able to propel themselves in the swing.
ReplyDeletehow empowering. it seriously made me teary when i realized what those funky handles were for.
I wish my sweet cousin, paralyzed from the neck down since a childhood accident, was alive to hear about this park. It would have made her so happy to know young people like herself had a place in which to enjoy nature.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see that swing while in use.
http://www.libertyswing.com.au/
ReplyDeleteThis is an Australian designed swing that's often recognised as one of the best for those who aren't able bodied.
Heck YES we need more of this.
ReplyDeleteHere are some other accessible places to play -treehouses, that is.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/12864