Accessible playground in Cornwall, P.E.I., getting positive reaction

An accessible playground in Cornwall, P.E.I., has been getting positive feedback since it opened. The playground, located at the Cornwall Civic Centre next to the curling club, includes a wide variety of structures designed to be fully accessible and inclusive through the use of stairs, climbers and slides.

'The kids love it and it's certainly a great feature to this facility'

Tom Steepe · CBC News · Posted: Aug 19, 2019 8:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: August 20, 2019

Children of all levels of ability are enjoying the new accessible playground next to the Cornwall Civic Centre. From left to right are Rebecca Fall, Kellie-Lynn Younker, Jaycee Masters MacKinnon, Emily Gosbee and Sarah Gosbee. (Tom Steepe/CBC)

An accessible playground in Cornwall, P.E.I., has been getting positive feedback since it opened.

The playground, located at the Cornwall Civic Centre next to the curling club, includes a wide variety of structures designed to be fully accessible and inclusive through the use of stairs, climbers and slides.

"Everything has been positive, the kids love it and it's certainly a great feature to this facility and to the programming that happens here," said recreation manager Kim Meunier.

Meunier said the playground gets "upwards of 100 kids" visiting each day.

Wide ramps, large decks and a new wood fibre surface allow children in wheelchairs and parents with strollers to move around more easily from one piece of equipment to another.

The town said the new playground ensures that all children have a place to play.

"Traditionally, we've gone with a gravel surface and we've done some research as far as accessibility and have come up with this wood fibre surface," Meunier said. "That allows those that are in wheelchairs, that they can come onto the structure and access the structures."

The playground, which has been open since June, cost the town $50,000 to build and includes an accessible swing.

Wide ramps and a new wood fibre surface allow children in wheelchairs to move around more easily. (Tom Steepe/CBC)

The town wanted to create an inclusive playground that would bring children together.

"We are an inclusive community, so any opportunity that we get to include all people, all residents, they're all our residents, anyone who uses these facilities, it's very important to the town to make sure that programs and services that we provide are inclusive," Meunier said.

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Different playground ideas

The town is considering adding inclusive playgrounds to other locations.

Meunier said it could be a total game-changer for families who have never been able to go to a playground.

Cornwall recreation manager Kim Meunier said the town will consider adding inclusive playgrounds to other locations in the community. (Tom Steepe/CBC)

"We'll make sure that what we look at at future parks is inclusive," said Meunier.

"It may not be this type of structure, we are looking at the naturalized playground. So we have a number of different playground ideas and we're also working on a recreation master plan that identifies some new playgrounds as part of our overall plan for the town."