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Date: 1/18/2023
LONGMEADOW – On the one hand, it was quite simple. A class of second graders wanted to play with a classmate who uses a wheelchair for mobility. On the other hand, solving the problem became a project with the possibility to impact families across the district for years to come.
“Play is a huge piece about how our kids learn and promotes their sense of belonging and social learning,” said Longmeadow School Committee Chair Nicole Choiniere.
The playgrounds at Longmeadow’s three elementary schools – Blueberry Hill School, Wolf Swamp Road School and Center School – are typical of many playgrounds. There are structures to climb on and under, space to run around and wood chips underfoot to cushion falls. For children with disabilities, however, these areas can be difficult to use. Wheelchairs can get stuck or tip on wood chips and children who cannot climb or swing may find it hard to play with friends on the equipment.
The school district and Town Manager Lyn Simmons have been exploring ways to tackle these issues. In the fall of 2022, Choiniere said “short-term adjustments” were made to the playgrounds, in the form of rubber matting that creates pathways between the equipment and the addition of accessible picnic tables.
After these first steps, Longmeadow Public Schools (LPS) submitted a request to add accessible playscapes to the capital planning budget for fiscal year 2023 and Simmons recommended their inclusion in the budget.
Meanwhile, the challenges presented by the playgrounds were also clear to children at Blueberry Hill School, where a student with spinal muscular atrophy uses a wheelchair. They decided to ask the Community Preservation Committee for help. Community Preservation Act funding can be used for projects that fall into specific categories – open space, historic, housing or recreation. The LPS playgrounds potentially fall into both the open space and recreation categories.
Nearly 20 of the student’s classmates wrote letters to the town’s Community Preservation Committee seeking help to pay for a more accessible playground. In the letters, the students explained how they “want to include everyone.” Each student wrote about wanting to play with their friend and how dangerous the wood chips would be for someone using a wheelchair. They suggested xylophones, tic-tac-toe boards and other games.
The district also saw the possibilities of using Community Preservation Funding to upgrade all three school playgrounds. DPW Director Sean Van Deusen submitted the funding application with the support of the School Committee.
The proposed playground upgrades include replacing the wood chip ground cover with a material, such as rubber, that provides a uniform surface, making it easier for people with impaired mobility to traverse. Upgraded playscapes may include a wheelchair accessible swing, musical games and other inclusive physical and sensory play equipment.
The cost of the three playgrounds and their equipment was estimated in mid-January to be $1.93 million, but Choiniere said the cost may change between the estimate and the project date, due to inflation or unforeseen complications.
“The beauty of this is that it incorporates accessibility for all students in the future, so they are able to access and play equitably with their friends,” Choiniere said.