This weekend, a moment 6-year-old Charlie Vander Linden and his family spent three years waiting for finally arrived.
Saturday was the grand opening of Emmanuel Lutheran Inclusive Community Park in Seymour. The space aims to provide people of all abilities with a safe, enjoyable place to play and foster connections, explained the church's pastor, Ty Stoneburner.
For young Charlie, who has autism and a disorder that can make it difficult to communicate verbally called apraxia of speech, the new playground allows him to be "confident in his play," said his mother, Caittlyn Vander Linden. Vander Linden is Stoneburner's step daughter.
This is not something all parks provide.
Vander Linden explained that Charlie, like many children on the autism spectrum, has a tendency to run or wander away. Many other parks are bordered by streets, and Charlie could easily end up in danger. When other children do not understand Charlie's communication, he can get frustrated. Many trips to parks ended in tears.
At Immanuel Lutheran's Inclusive Park, Charlie is free to be Charlie, his mom explained. It's fully fenced in, so he can run, jump and play without pause. There's a communication panel, a large board with common words and corresponding pictures, that Charlie can use as he sees fit.
"As a special needs parent, you're always trying to teach your child how to adapt into neurotypical, mainstream environments. So to have one where they can just be themselves is very important," Vander Linden said.
When the lot that now holds the Inclusive Community Park was for sale, the church purchased it with the intent of turning it into a park of some kind.
But in hearing more and more stories of families feeling "left out" of existing playgrounds, the church determined it would make an inclusive playground, said Mary Brown, chairperson of the park team.
Inclusive playgrounds are designed so people of all abilities — including those with physical disabilities and those with neurological or developmental conditions — can play together.
At Emmanuel Lutheran's Inclusive Community Park, you'll find multiple features designed to make the park more accessible for people with mobility concerns. For example, there's Inclusive Orbit Spinner, a ground-level merry-go-round that people do not need to transfer out of wheelchairs or forgo mobility aids to use, and a ramped structure filled with tactile elements. The entire playground has poured-in-place surfacing, which is easy to navigate.
There are also features for those with other needs. For example, the "serenity spot" can be particularly helpful for children with sensory processing challenges. The partially enclosed space has a variety of activities on its walls designed to be calming, and Stoneburner said it also can help block out noise.
The Brava Universal Swing is not only designed so children can swing whichever way is most comfortable to them — which is particularly useful for children who do not have the core strength to swing sitting up — but also to be comfortable for children on the autism spectrum, as it mimics self-stimulatory behaviors.
A key element, Stoneburner said, is the park's accessible restroom with an adult-size changing table. For families with older children or elderly relatives who need this, not having access to these spaces can prevent outings altogether.
This is just one example of how the park was not only designed for people of all abilities, but also people of all ages.
Stoneburner said that for him, the importance of this was emphasized years ago when his wife, Lynette, was caring for her aunt who had dementia. It was important for her aunt to get outdoors and to exercise, but they worried about her wandering off. The fence helps with this, and there are two pieces of adult exercise equipment she can enjoy, too.
Holly Samson, a Seymour mom of four, explained that even her adult children can find the new inclusive park valuable. For her stepson Alex Samson, 20, the summer will be filled with visits, Holly said.
Alex has FG syndrome, which Holly described as a chromosome disorder. He is nonverbal, and needs 24/7 supervision and help with personal care, Holly explained. She said that at the park, Alex can watch children play (and join in as he pleases), giving him a sense of involvement. Her 20-year-old son Cameron Samson, who has autism and ADHD, said he could see himself joining in on less busy days.
"When we said 'all ages, all abilities,' we really meant it," Stoneburner said.
Moving forward, there will be a number of fundraisers to help with maintenance of the park and to offer programming and resources for those who have family members with disabilities. To stay up-to-date on fundraisers and other events, visit Emmanuel Lutheran Inclusive Community Park's Facebook page.
Through the end of the summer, the park, 349 N. Main St., Seymour, is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.
Related:Kids of all abilities can play together at this new Green Bay-area play space
Related:Climbing ramp, kid-powered electronic game among upgrades coming to Kimberly's Verhagen Park
Related:New accessible playground coming to Kaukauna's La Follette Park this summer
Related:Bay Beach Amusem*nt Park hopes to get an inclusive playground. Here's what to know.
Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps memberbased at The Appleton Post-Crescent.To contact her, emailmlammert@gannett.comor call 920-993-7108.Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy withatax-deductible gift to Report for Americaby visitingpostcrescent.com/RFA.
