Project Spotlights

Harrisburg, PA

Possibility Place: A Playground for ALL Children (in George Park, Lower Paxton Township near Harrisburg)is the first completely accessible playground in central Pennsylvania. The playground opened on August 12, 2006. "This is a playground where all children, with or without physical challenges, can play together and stretch their imaginations," says Janis Creason, vice president of Inspired Recreation, the volunteer committee that organized the playground project.

Playground components include a large treehouse with ramps at different levels, an airplane, a train, sensory panels and musical instruments, a large kaleidoscope in a lookout tower, play areas connected by wide ramps and open spaces, a recording studio and stage, and poured-in-place rubber groundcover so that wheelchairs, strollers, crutches, etc. can easily traverse the playground.

Reilly Johnson was one of the inspirations for the park. He has spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy, but that doesn't keep him from wanting to play like other kids. Now, he no longer has to watch from the sidelines as other children have fun on the playground. Despite being in a wheelchair, Reilly can use all the facilities at the new Possibility Place playground. "It's very cool. There are lots of things I can do here," says Reilly. Reilly's parents say it is a dream come true. "You want your kids to do normal things, and here Reilly can do those things."

Janis Creason was at a picnic with Reilly and his family two years ago. Reilly said he wished he could be out on the playground with the other kids. "That got me thinking of how do children in wheelchairs or with any physical use a playground," says Janis. She talked with the township supervisor, who introduced her to Ann Phillips, who wanted to create a playground in an open field near her home. Together, Ann and Janis formed Inspired Recreation.

The playground committee raised $250,000 and more than twice that in in-kind donations. More than 1,500 volunteers helped build the playground. The Pennsylvania Air National Guard's 193rd Civil Engineer Squadron installed water and electrical service and helped build the facilities.

We spoke with Janis the week after the playground opened. She said: "It has been the most rewarding experience of our lives to see kids in wheelchairs playing tag throughout our playground. . . . I know that when we spoke with Boundless Playgrounds in the early phases of our project, they did not encourage us to go with Leathers. . . . I have been to several Boundless playgrounds and I sincerely believe that our playground adapted to the special needs of all children is far, far superior. This is particularly true because our ramps are 5 feet wide and the platforms are very spacious as well. Also, we have incorporated the poured-in-place groundcover, which has been a gigantic hit with everyone. We have already been having organizations from other areas-even Russia-come to see our playground!"

visit their website: inspiredrecreation.org

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