Playground Updates

A white background with a few lines on it
A group of people in wheelchairs are playing basketball on a court.

Donation Portal, Grant Opportunities, and Community Outreach

November 4, 2024
I am working with some amazing people in the financial department at the city to set up an account for donations which will allow for tax receipts. We will also be able to accept online donations through the Canada Helps platform. We have a few people working behind the scenes on a website, and we are getting ready to present to the Rotary club next month. I'm told there is a grant writer on staff with the city, and he is exploring municipal grant options. Once we have somewhere for donations to be made, we can take this to the media.  Stay tuned keep spreading the word! Rachel
A poster that says inspire inclusion on it

Gaining Momentum and Building Partnerships for Inclusive Play!

November 4, 2024
We are getting some amazing traction with the project. Thank you all for continuing to spread the word and invite others to our page to support us. We are working hard behind the scenes to get ready for our council presentation. After that we can begin our fundraising campaign! We now have a grant writing sub-committee, and we are putting together an event planning sub- committee (a HUGE thanks to our volunteers!) This week we officially partnered with Extend a Family Kingston and we have also connected with Queen's University to get OT and PT students involved. One thing is becoming clear as this project moves along... this initiative is quickly becoming more than just a playground. Its sparking some serious potential for change around accessibility and inclusion in Kingston. I'm so excited to see what comes next. Because playgrounds should be for everyone!
An artist 's impression of a playground in a park.

Draft Plan of Possible Playground

November 4, 2024
We have a draft of the new playground incorporating the existing equipment already at Shannon Park! This will be subject to some changes along the way of course. A huge thank you to ABC Recreation for their incredible expertise.
A logo for the inclusive play project with a person in a wheelchair

Building Momentum with Community and City Partnerships!

November 4, 2024
So many behind the scenes things happening! We now have a graphic designer who has offered to help us design some pamphlets, posters etc. We also have a videographer pending to help put together a little promo video to post on the website. City of Kingston finance department is working on a Canada Helps link, as well as a place for e-transfers with tax receipt. We are presenting to Rotary today! they will want to join our cause! We are presenting to the Kingston Accessibility Committee in September, and then City Council in October for the hopeful "official approval" of the project. After that we will be able to start fundraising! This gives us time to work on our fundraising plan and continue to get the word out.  We have formed a Committee to keep this project organized and also have a Fundraising Committee. Connect with us and let us know how you can help. I will keep you posted as we move along. Some great community partnerships in the works too. - Rachel
An artist 's impression of a playground in a park.

Update on Playground Features

March 20, 2024
After speaking with many community groups, organizations, parents, and kids, we have outlined some improvements to our playground features! The design has the entire playground covered in rubber surfacing, which provides great accessibility for wheelchair users. A few other new features include the accessible merry-go-round, an adapted seesaw, a communication board, ramps and transfer stations, and many sensory panels!  To get a better idea of some of these features, check out our Instagram page where we post equipment highlights (@ theinclusiveplayproject ). Take a look at the plans!! We are super excited to share these new features with everyone and cannot wait for all of the playground fun.
A group of people are riding a roundabout in a park.

Wheelchair Swings?

September 20, 2023
So we have received a lot of messages/questions around platform wheelchair swings, and whether or not we will be including one in the park. After a lot of research, it turns out swings are a complicated topic! Due to Shannon Park being a public space, and the weight and size of these swings... there are many questions and valid concerns around liability and safety. Several people have mentioned the swing at the Peterborough Zoo, but after contacting them I found out their swing is kept in a locked space and only accessed through Guest Services with a key. If you want to read a little bit more about some of the safety issues surrounding platform wheelchair swings (American mind you, but still pertinent), I'm attaching this article which raises some valid and interesting points. https://skulskiconsulting.com/why-wheelchair-swings-arent-meant-for-your-public-playground/ We are working through this and consulting with various organizations/groups to find the safest and most inclusive options on the market. This is one of the main reasons we are looking at a Sway Fun glider, because it provides very similar vestibular feedback to a swing without the same safety issues.  Happy to hear your thoughts and comments!
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