Most children love having the opportunity to go to the park or playground. My family lives half
of a mile from a community playground, so you would think we’d take advantage of this and
visit the park often. The reality is that we only go there a handful of times each year.
Our five-year-old-daughter, Mallorie, enjoys every minute of being outdoors. She loves to run,
explore, and pretend she’s “going on a bear hunt.” She adores her older sister, so when we are at the playground, she really just wants to do whatever her big sis is doing. Mallorie was born with Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome.
She has a variety of gross motor delays, which can make a trip to the playground more of a challenge and frustration for her. There are multiple pieces of equipment that she is unable to access. And for the things that she can access, like the slide and the swing, an adult still needs to be very close by.
Having an inclusive playground in our community would be such a game-changer for our family.
Mallorie would be able to access the same equipment that her older sister does. She would
feel less frustration and more independence. She would have a variety of things to choose
from, rather than just one or two things.
A trip to the playground would no longer be disappointing, worrisome, and challenging. It would be enjoyable and fun for our entire family, just like it should be.