OUR STORY

In the summer of 2021, a mother came to tour our facility for her soon to be three-year-old daughter who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Though our facility is wheelchair accessible, the current playground is not. We mentioned this to the little girl’s mother. The mother sadly replied, "That's ok, not very many playgrounds are...she can just hang out on the side and watch".

No child should have to experience this and no parent should have to accept this as a reality for their child.

OUR GOAL

Imagination Playground Inc. is seeking funding to build the first fully inclusive community playground in Gates, NY; a one of a kind design not yet found in Monroe County!

The goal of this project includes developing, 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 project serves 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, both literally and figuratively.

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.

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 September 2024, our budget is nearly $1,000,000, saving approximately 25% with the support of volunteer construction labor. Community-built projects inspire participants with a sense of ownership, so much so that the project becomes a focus of community life.

WHAT IS AN INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND?

Inclusion is ensuring that people feel they belong, are engaged, and connected. Inclusive playgrounds are ones designed specifically to ensure that children of all abilities can play together. It goes way beyond wheelchair access. All-inclusive playgrounds are accessible, but not all accessible playgrounds are inclusive.

Project Imagination Playground

Please join our journey to create a fully inclusive playground for EVERY child in our community to enjoy!