Boundless Playgrounds

I strongly believe that the healthiest play environment is one that invites everyone into play. Everyone. Regardless of age, ability, or any other distinction society might impose on us. The mission of Shane's Inspiration is to support the development of essentially needed, universally accessible “Boundless Playgrounds,” providing children with disabilities an opportunity to play side-by-side with their able-bodied peers and siblings.

I quote, at further length, from their history page: Catherine Curry-Williams and Scott Williams founded Shane’s Inspiration in April 1998 in memory of their son Shane, who passed away two weeks after birth. Had Shane lived he would have spent his life in a wheelchair. When the Williams’ discovered that he would have had no public park in which to play, they made it their mission to build Shane’s Inspiration: A Boundless Playground, where children with disabilities can play side by side with their able-bodied peers at the highest level of their ability. The goal is to enhance the emotional, physical and social development of all children, while providing an environment where compassion and acceptance can flourish. With the belief that playing in a playground is the birthright of every child, the Williams’ and co-founder, Tiffany Harris, rallied friends, family and community to help raise money to build the first Boundless Playground in the state of California.

I firmly believe that we won't really have access to "real" playgrounds, until we learn to make all of our playgrounds "boundless." Shane's Inspiration creates conceptual and equipment-specific play environment designs after identifying project priorities with stakeholders in each community. The organization also coordinates with local landscape architects, engineers and other professionals who provide local project services for a fee or on a pro-bono basis. My most heartfelt wish is that organizations like Shane's Inspiration inspire a r/evolution in the design of all playspaces.

Which gives me a welcome opportunity to once again mention David Werner's remarkable online guide to building playgrounds for the rest of us. Nothing About Us Without Us is a resource that is also profoundly inspiring, demonstrating how such playgrounds can be built anywhere, and how building them builds a more complete community.