Lambeth parents, community fundraise to get accessible playground for kids
Parents have raised more than $50K so far, with hopes to have the new playground by next spring
Five-year-old Nora Jones is a social butterfly who loves hanging out with other kids at the playground of Lambeth Public School. But the decades-old playground is built in such a way that her wheelchair can't get on it, excluding her from her peers.
"It's really hard, every time we come to the playground I have to carry her and go down the slides with her, I have to bring her up to other kids because there's no accessibility," her mom Sarah Jones told CBC News.
Nora has neurological complications that limit her ability to move her legs and parts of her arms, requiring her to use a wheelchair. She's one of several children who struggle to access the elementary school's only playground.
The shared concern for inclusion among parents of London's Lambeth community has driven them to raise funds for an accessible playground that caters to all students, including those with special mobility and sensory needs.
"We were witnessing pieces falling apart and some students not being able to play on it each day," said Kirstin Gifford of the Home and School Association, a group of parent-volunteers who help supplement programs focusing on students' education and development.
WATCH | The current barriers to play at Lambeth's playground:
The current playground is mostly made of steel and plastic and is on an elevated surface with wood chips, making it difficult for kids in wheelchairs to access it without an adult's assistance. The older design also doesn't consider the sensory requirements of kids with autism or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
On Thursday, the community organized a fun fair at the school which had free admission, live music, food, and a variety of activities for families in the hopes of raising $10,000.
Ontario's Ministry of Education doesn't allocate money for playgrounds and school boards are only responsible for maintaining them, so if a community wants a new playground, they have to raise funds themselves.
The association has been finding creative ways to raise money for a new playground that would cost nearly $200,000. They've raised more than $50,000 so far.
Barriers impact all kids, says EA
"What we have is very limiting, it's not inclusive even going beyond the physical and as we think about the design, we want something that all kids can interact with in different ways," said Lubna Arja, the president of the association.
These changes would include a ground-level surface, and wider areas with ramps so kids can independently access slides and bars.
Mary Mungar has worked as an educational assistant (EA) at Lambeth for two years. She recalls several instances where she needed to help students access the slides because without her support, they wouldn't be able to use the playground, she said.
The barriers affect the social development of not only kids with disabilities, but all students, Mungar said.
"We get lots of questions from children who are able to access [the playground] that 'I don't understand why [my friend] can't come play with me,'" she said.
"And the ones who are unable to access it, they are busy watching their peers doing what looks to be like fun and it's really sad that they're not able to partake in that."
The association will continue rallying for the new playground so that all kids can feel included and interact safely with one another. Gifford and Arja hope to have the new playground installed by next spring.
"Inclusion is everything, it helps the emotional factors of life and creates a personal bond, so being included in something is a major thing," said Jones.
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