It’s called a Magical Bridge Playground because it allows for the magic of play while bridging barriers often faced by people with disabilities.
And Jennifer Louie, a co-founder of the Jennifer and Gregory Louie (JGL) Foundation for Cerebral Palsy, would like to see one built here in Richmond.
Louie, who’s also a physiotherapist, made a presentation at Richmond city council Dec. 18, hoping to motivate councillors to take on the project of being the first in Canada to have a truly inclusive playground.
“So many kids and families often feel like they are outsiders and excluded,” Louie said. “They can’t exercise or be as active in the community because there aren’t as many programs or facilities for them to access.”
According to a 2016 survey from the Angus Reid Institute, 63 per cent of people with disabilities said they encountered various physical obstacles in their local community, and they thought it would be difficult for another person with disabilities.
Louie has reached out to multiple local non-profit organizations and has received written letters of support for the all-inclusive playground.
A friend of Louie suggested she check out the Magical Bridge Playground when she was visiting California a few years ago. She was amazed by the structure and the design, which was created by the California-based Magical Bridge Foundation in Palo Alto, Calif.
Louie said all the playground equipment is fully accessible for a child in a wheelchair or walker.
“It has a sensory component shaped as a heart, which will create different musical notes when kids walk under it,” Louie said. “The playground addresses sensory needs for children with autism, as well as visual and hearing impairment.”
She said so-called “inclusive playgrounds” in Metro Vancouver are not really all-inclusive, because children with disabilities aren’t able to fully interact with their peers or access the equipment.
“If you look at a lot of playgrounds today, there is rubber flooring that allows a wheelchair to propel over it. But the child might not be able to access the slide,” Louie said.
The all-inclusive playground has a ramp that allows people to go up from the side before going down on the slide. At the end of the slide, there would be a transfer platform for people to get off safely, according to Louie.
“It’s not a (just) special needs playground. The beauty of this playground is that all the kids can play together,” she added.
