A Connect N.C. bond application approved by the Town of Waynesville could bring more than $90,000 to the town for the construction of a first-of-its-kind playground designed specifically for children with a wide range of physical and cognitive disabilities.
Waynesville aldermen approved the application, to be filed by Parks and Recreation Director Rhett Langston, early last month. The $90,300 request, if approved, will be supplemented by a $22,575 funding match from the town.
“This is needed not only here in the county, but probably everywhere,” said Jody Miller, community engagement coordinator for Partnership for Children’s region A.
The Partnership for Children is a nonprofit organization that administers Smart Start and N.C. Pre-K initiatives in the state’s seven westernmost counties, including the Qualla Boundary.
Public input sessions centered around the town’s master recreation plan indicated strong support for such a feature, and a 2015 map from N.C. State University submitted with the proposal says Haywood County has 2.1 to 2.3 “exceptional children” per 100 residents.
But more robust estimates from the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability suggest that number may be closer to 6 percent, meaning as many as 3,000 children in the county could benefit from an ADA-compliant playground.
Miller works with children who have conditions that run the gamut of disabilities — from cerebral palsy to Down’s syndrome to autism, and everything in between.
She said that disabled children would benefit on a case-by-case basis; while some can function relatively highly even in non-ADA settings, others — like the wheelchair-bound — can be excluded completely.
And while the new playground carries with it the health and fitness benefits of outdoor activity, it will also benefit disabled children in another, slightly less obvious way. Miller said that disabled children who can’t join their peers on the playground miss out on important time for socialization, an can end up being socially excluded from their friends.
Langston and the town won’t know if they’ve been approved for funding until February or March at the earliest.
“Hopefully, it’ll go in our favor,” he said. “We did everything we were supposed to do in the application, and we’ve proven there’s a very strong need for it in Haywood County. And it’s what people would like to see in our parks. So we’ll see how it pans out.”
If the project is funded, work would begin as soon as possible and be completed in relatively short order.
The ADA-compliant playground will replace a pre-existing playset at Waynesville’s Recreation Park on Vance Street; conceptual drawings show plastic slides, plentiful handrails and large shades over the complex — all accessed with gently sloping ramps instead of staircases.
The improvements don’t end there, however.
Some disabled children — even those with autism spectrum disorders — have difficulty navigating surfaces that are uneven or feature rough textures.
The new park will feature a rubberized surface for increased safety and mobility. The park’s parking lot will also be repaved, and a sidewalk will be installed to ensure that coming and going is as easy as enjoying the playset itself.
A nearby picnic shelter will also be upgraded and will feature ADA-accessible seating and picnic tables.
When nature calls, park users will be able to avail themselves of a newly remodeled, ADA-compliant bathroom, meaning that children with disabilities can enjoy a complete playground and picnic experience comparable to that which their non-disabled siblings and peers enjoy.
“I think this will be enjoyed by a lot of children for years to come, because as we’ve indicated, it’s an inclusive playground, and would serve all children. I have heard that people have to go as far as Henderson County for this type of playground,” Langston said.
Miller, however, was happy to hear of the town’s initiative.
“Let’s hope it’s the first of many,” she said.