A new online platform is breaking barriers and bringing joy to families across Ontario by helping them discover accessible playgrounds.
The Accessible Playgrounds Ontario website (www.accessibleplaygroundsontario.ca), launched this autumn, is the brainchild of Julie Grant, a dedicated parent from Peterborough.
Grant’s inspiration for the website comes from her two-year-old son, Jude, who faces the challenges of cerebral palsy and developmental delays. Jude currently receives treatment at the Five Counties Children’s Centre.
Driven by her passion as a mother, Grant initiated the idea of a virtual directory of accessible play structures last spring. Her extensive web search revealed a lack of easily accessible information on inclusive play spaces in Ontario. She initially started an Accessible Playgrounds Ontario Facebook group, which later evolved into the website.
With the support of family, friends, and Facebook followers, Julie began identifying and cataloging accessible playgrounds throughout Ontario, with a special focus on those featuring rubber or turf surfacing for ease of access by children in wheelchairs or mobility devices. She also reached out to numerous Ontario municipalities to gather information about their play structures. Today, her website boasts a directory of over 200 accessible playgrounds, complete with locations, descriptions, and photos.
Inclusive playgrounds play a vital role in enabling children of all abilities to engage in the joy of play, fostering connections and camaraderie from an early age. Beyond supporting physical, cognitive, and social development, these playgrounds champion the values of acceptance and unity.
Colleen Ristok, a Recreation Therapist at Five Counties Children’s Centre, expresses deep gratitude for Grant’s efforts to connect more families to accessible playgrounds. “Playgrounds are more than child’s play,” Ristok says. “In many ways, they help lay the building blocks for life. Play is how kids learn, and unstructured play opportunities – like those on playgrounds – benefit children in many ways. Kids can be active, explore, socialize, interact, problem solve, and be independent.”
Grant acknowledges that there are still obstacles on the path to creating a fully inclusive, accessible world for children like Jude. “It may feel like globally we still have a long way to go for an inclusive world,” she says, “but let’s celebrate the efforts of our communities and highlight how far we have come with inclusive play.”
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
