Imagination Playground Inc. is seeking funding to build the first fully inclusive community playground in Monroe County, NY that creates an equitable play space where all children can play, learn, and explore together.

In June 2021, we had a mother come to visit our center with her beautiful little girl, who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. We gave them a tour of our facility, and then it was time to go out to our playground. We explained to the mother that our playground is not wheelchair accessible. The mother went on to say, “that is ok, most playgrounds around here aren’t, she can just sit on the side and watch”. That statement broke our hearts! No child should EVER have to sit out while all their friends are playing, and no parent should have to accept this as a reality for his/her child.

After doing some research, we learned that there are currently no inclusive playgrounds in the towns of Gates, Chili, or Ogden, which represent over 10,000 children ages birth through twelve years. According to the CDC, it is estimated that approximately 17% of these children are living with at least one disability. As a result, approximately 1,700 children in our community do not have a place to access play locally. Moreover, the remaining 8,300 children do not have the opportunity to play alongside peers with varying abilities and learn how to embrace diversity. We decided that we needed to come up with a solution! This is when the corporation Imagination Playground, Inc. was born!

The goal of this organization is to develop, not simply an accessible playground, but a fully inclusive play space that allows children of all abilities to play together. In other words, while this play space will serve children living with physical, cognitive, and social/emotional disabilities, our goal is to create a space where all children can play, learn, and explore together, breaking down previously constructed barriers.

This project will have an outdoor classroom space which includes an art area, music area, dramatic play area and a building area. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, children of all ages can benefit from an outdoor classroom, whether it is adjacent to a school or day care center, attached to a playground, or even in a natural environment. Studies have shown that children who experience at least a portion of their day in an outdoor learning environment experience cognitive and psychological benefits as well as the more obvious physical benefits.

The creation of the Imagination Playground will be 100% funded via grants and private donations and the build will rely on volunteers and gift-in-kind material contributions. Scheduled to be built by the fall of 2026, our budget is nearly $1,000,000, saving with the support of volunteer construction labor. Our hope is that, by involving local residents and business owners, we will create a sense of ownership within our community and help to raise awareness around the importance of building inclusive neighborhoods.

We've partnered with Play by Design, a firm located in Ithaca, NY that specializes in a unique process that unifies and empowers communities by bringing people together to design, organize, and construct one-of-a-kind playgrounds. We have met with various community members of all ages and abilities for input on all design elements. We will continue to consult with occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists to ensure we are achieving full inclusivity.

Accessible Elements of this Project Include:
• Extra wide fully accessible quarter of a mile concrete track that goes around the entire playground
• Rubberized surfacing throughout for accessibility
• Wheelchair accessible picnic tables
• Wheelchair accessible swing and merry go round
• Low hanging monkey bars
• Dramatic play area with a wheelchair accessible stage for children to use their imaginations.
• Large wooden blocks available for children to build and create.
• Communication panel with symbols for people who are nonverbal to communicate
• Sign language panel for people who are deaf to be able to communicate
• Braille panel for people who are blind to communicate
• Sensory Tunnel and Volito Swing for people with sensory processing needs
• Musical instruments
• Fully accessible art easels
• Fully accessible playground equipment with ramps for multiple leveled access to play