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Please read on to discover why Mr. Malgioglio saw a need for the FSRP.
This article was submitted to "Boundless Playgrounds" by Mr. Malgioglio
in the hopes of winning a multi-accessible playground for the Borough.
SOUTH RIVER, NEW JERSEY
South River, located in Central New Jersey, is a small town with approximately fifteen thousand residents. Incorporated in 1898, it is culturally diverse and is inclusive of many churches representing various religions observed by our residents. Like many towns in America, it is a blue collar community with very deep roots. There is a Main Street, two Fire Houses one Library, a Primary, Elementary, Middle and High School. During the fall months our Football Stadium is filled with residents cheering for the South River High School Rams. The Borough has eleven parks that are within walking distance of homes, apartment complexes and public transportation. Some parks feature baseball or soccer/multi-purpose fields, basketball and tennis courts, picnic facilities and play equipment for children of all ages. Others offer residents a bucolic landscape setting to sit and read a book or socialize with fellow residents. On any given weekend, it is easy to spot residents, families with children, both young and senior citizens enjoying and utilizing our parks and recreation facilities.
Our parks are indeed pleasant and enjoyable but I believe there is something intrinsically missing. Some of our children are not as fortunate as other children who are able to play on our beautiful baseball and soccer fields or climb the one or two steps of a playground set or walk across the wood chips and grass surrounding the play equipment. What I believe is significantly missing is a Multi Accessible Playground. M.A.P.s are not just for children with disabilities, they are for all children and they are actually better playgrounds for all. There are less steps and tripping hazards. Their ramps with slight inclines encourage children to run and be more active. The rubberized surface that the unit rest on is safer then wood chips that in time deteriorate. A Multi Accessible Playground does not limit use, it is inclusive, and it teaches children to be respectful of others and their abilities.
Currently the town provides baseball, football, and soccer fields, basketball, tennis courts and even a skate park for our residents to enjoy. On any given day during the year anybody can take their kids to a playground and let them enjoy the swings, see-saws, slides, or a jungle-gym apparatus. Two of our parks even offer fishing and outdoor exercise equipment for adults. A M.A.P. would show that we care about even the single child in a group that has special needs. Equipment that would allow handicapped children to enjoy the parks alongside those that play baseball and basketball would benefit the entire community the same way a church, senior center or community outreach program does. All of them serve a special interest that seeks to improve the lives of those they serve. I cannot speak for an entire community, nor would I try. I can only guess that nobody would look at a Multi Accessible Playground in full use and not see its benefits to the community and to the individual child that would have someplace to play.
Luckily we are not a community of special needs children, but we are a community with children that have special needs. For some children it would probably be the first time they ever played on a swing, slide or climbing apparatus. I would only hope that the joy of that moment would last them a lifetime
Play that includes children of all abilities is important because it breaks down barriers that prevent special needs children from interacting with their peers. What is acceptable for some is an obstacle for others. The wood chips that surround our playgrounds, adequately insulate a child from a fall from a swing or slide. However they are not a suitable surface for children in wheelchairs or walkers. Though considered to be accessible they are not an easy surface for children in wheelchairs or walkers to maneuver. The wood chips actually make their equipment dig into the ground and render them immobile. On most playground equipment there are two points of entry. The first point is via two or more steps leading to what I would consider the playing/transfer platform or deck. Depending on the disability a child can participate or just sit on the platform and be part of a social setting. The second point of entry is usually by climbing a vertical ladder or pole that is usually three of four feet in height. Obviously to a child in a wheel chair or walker these two points of entry present barriers that must be overcome so they can enjoy themselves on the equipment. Swing sets that do not have high backs to cradle the occupant are unusable for some children. Monkey Bars are horizontal ladders that are completely impossible for many children, not just those with physical, mental or visual limitations. Simply stated, traditional playground equipment is not functional, practical or even usable for any child that cannot run or walk without the use of a devise to aid them.
There are three reasons why play that includes children of all abilities is important to me, Inclusion, Opportunity and Enjoyment.
1) A Multi Accessible Playground offers equipment that children of many abilities can utilize. Not just those that can run, jump and swing on their own. There are extra-wide slides, high backed swing sets, ramps for points of entry, directional guides for the visually impaired, rubberized surface, chime sets and climbing areas that are accessible from the ground, single person jumping platforms and my favorite the vertical bar slide.
2) A Multi Accessible Playground provides all children with an opportunity to play and learn together. In a perfect world, there are parks that all children can enjoy. Everybody gets a turn on a swing or slide. There is never a wait at a see saw and everybody gets to play in the sandbox. The only children sitting down are those taking a break from the excitement and enjoying a snack or beverage. The reality is there are a lot of parks like that, but so long as one child is turned away because the equipment cannot accommodate them, then the park is not adequate. A Multi Accessible Playground does not exclude because of their limitations, but rather their limitations are taken into account and are incorporated into the equipment.
3) Playing is more then just using a swing or slide. Playing teaches socialization skills that we all need to develop into adulthood. Waiting on line, letting someone take a turn, and learning not to stare at others are things that all parents teach their children. A park is a perfect setting to teach such skills, and a park that accommodates all children is even better.
Recently I have obtained over one hundred signatures of private citizens, politicians and the clergy that support a Multi Accessible Playground. That number will continue to grow as the word is spread through various media outlets.
In closing I do not want the reader to think that I am against traditional park equipment. No park facility would be complete without its standard swings, slides, monkey bars, and see saws. Children of all ages enjoy them and at any park they encourage children to play, learn and socialize. That is precisely why a Multi Accessible Playground is so important to a child with physical, mental or visual limitations. It gives them a chance to play, learn and socialize just like their peers in an environment that ALL children can enjoy.
Anthony Malgioglio - Founder of
FSRP
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