By: Jake Weber
The Village Reporter
The leaders behind Northwest Ohio’s own Sara’s Garden, the only non-profit facility in North America that specializes in Conductive Education, Autism Intervention and more, recently began implementing the results of months of planning: building a handicap accessible, inclusive playground.
The plans for the playground were developed months ago with the intention to create a facility that’s designed to address the needs of children with neurological, intellectual, and physical disabilities as well as typically developing children; the goal of the park being to create an inclusive recreational facility that accommodates the needs of all children while challenging them at their own developmental skill levels. The area’s variety of equipment and activities will enable children of all ages, backgrounds, and developmental skills to experience and play independently along with their typically developing peers.
The project’s initial funding estimates towered around $400,000; however, through the help of community support and equipment discounts, the total estimated cost of development was reduced by nearly $13,000. The funding received was used to pay for site excavation, surface drainage, playground equipment, concrete work for sidewalks and a basketball court, and the rubberized handicap accessible playground surface.
After laying the groundwork, Sara’s Garden turned to its supportive community to help finish the project: building the playground equipment and laying a stone foundation would be the task at hand for over 150 volunteers that took part in the weekend-long project to aid in the completion of the playground.
Sara’s Garden and the playground are located at 620 W Leggett St, Wauseon, OH. For more information about Sara’s Garden or to find out how you can help, visit them on the web at www.sarasgarden.org or call 419-335-7272.
Jake can be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com