Evanna loves being outside. Parks, however, are rarely truly accessible and inclusive despite being labeled as such or meeting ADA guidelines. As we visit area parks, we plan to document how well we feel they meet our idea of accessible, inclusive, and fun from the viewpoint of a young child in a wheelchair.
We are starting this series with one of the best parks in the area (and by area I mean we can drive to it within an hour or two): Les Gove Park in Auburn. This park is 52 minutes away in the dead of night and took us a full two hours to get home during traffic.
This video gives you a quick overview of the entire playground. Here's some of the positives:
- Pour and play and artificial turf surfacing covering the entire playground means a wheelchair can easily roll anywhere. The only exception is the sandbox.
- Slides can be accessed via a ramp and going down a hill, reducing risks from falling over the sides.
- Saucer swings are easier to transfer onto than full support swings. Evanna likes to lay down on them. Plenty of room for siblings to swing together.
- Full support swing is available for those that need them.
- Merry-go-round has cutout sections that those who need support can sit in.
- Several musical toys are available that can be accessed and used by anyone, using a wheelchair or walking, sighted and visually impaired. Unfortunately, one was missing one of the sticks.
One of my biggest reasons for choosing this park is that it had a splash pad, or spray park, and it was hot. Spray parks are accessible to manual wheelchairs and lots of fun for those who like water.
Evanna wasn't too keen on being sprayed but she still managed to enjoy it enough to get a smiling picture.
She preferred the puddles. I'm sure the spray ground will become a favorite park activity as she gets older.
You can always just visit the giant carrot tree, or head over to the library next door or community center which are both located at the border of the park.
The park also boasts sidewalks, bocce ball courts, and plenty of grass and shade.
The only things that would make this park even better are a couple of pieces of equipment that a wheelchair can roll onto (wheelchair swing) and for it to be closer to home. This park is one of the best in the area for wheelchairs, making it worth the extended drive a few times during the summer.
