Before the ribbon is even cut Wednesday afternoon, children are using the new inclusive playground at Wesselman Park.
This nature-themed facility was designed for visitors young, and young-at-heart. It has features like a wheelchair swing and accessible merry-go-round structure and even a ramp for adult-size wheelchairs.
The City of Evansville is calling this “the most inclusive playground in Wesselman Park.”
The groundbreaking was in January. It’s being hailed as a multigenerational and multi-ability playscape for children and adults.
Danielle Crook is Evansville Parks Executive Director. She said the project was inspired in part, by her own family.
“The driving force is my father – he is 82 years of age and really wants to play with my girls, and cannot do so because most of the structures are not accessible,” Crook said. “Family friends of ours were not able to play either, because the structures weren't accessible. And so this was our way to change that for our community.”
She said there is something for everyone starting with a wheelchair accessible ‘we go round,’ and the double wide ramp structure for adult-size wheelchairs.
“The roller slide that is attached to the ramp structure is great for kids with sensory disorders, children with autism; there are a lot of different textures in this playground, varying heights and challenges. So there's really something for every child of every ability contained within this space.”
The playground is unique to Evansville in the amount of accessible playground features, along with the circle sidewalk and soft turf surfacing.
Crook said they’re not finished with the park — more features are coming.
Next, they’ll add a fence around the playground, seating under natural shade, free little libraries and a story trail. She hopes for a restroom in the future.
DNR Accessibility Website
For those seeking accessible state park features, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) created an accessibility website, guiding visitors to DNR park features that have been modified to reduce or remove physical barriers.
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The DNR Accessibility Outdoors website offers six activities or help topics for visitors who might need wheelchair access, for example.
Access to beaches, fishing, hunting, trails, wildlife viewing and access to trail chairs is consolidated into one website which shares locations with accommodations for each activity.
For example the "beaches" tab shares DNR parks with wheelchair accessible beaches and wheelchair-friendly beach mats.
Hunters can find properties with gravel or mowed paths or an accessible duck blind.
Visitors who might need a trail chair for example, can find a list of parks, what kind of all-terrain chair they offer and what trails they can use.
Spring Mill State Park has an All Terrain Viking 4X4 Mobility Power Wheelchair which gives users access to certain trails and even fishing.
Not all accessible features are listed — anyone interested in a property should call ahead to learn if their favorite park has wheelchair accessible features.
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