Homecoming Community Park in Springfield Township, one of eleven townships in Lucas County, OH, has been designated as an Inclusion National Demonstration Site focusing on inclusive play. Springfield Township continued their efforts of making their community all-inclusive by welcoming their newest inclusive playground to the community on October 30.
With the help from the Public Local School District and community volunteers they were able to turn a 20+ year old playground into a playground for people of all abilities to enjoy. Springfield Township is proud to add this new playground in their “signature”, most used park, Homecoming Park, making the people of the community excited for another place to take all their kids to enjoy play with all their family and friends.
“With the support of our Board of Trustees, we are blessed to be able to offer a play structure for all children. We take inclusion very seriously so that no child goes without the opportunity to have fun, along with recreation,” shares Mike Hampton, Park Administrator.
The community plans to promote their National Demonstration Site by displaying a NDS placard at the playground and sharing information through local media outlets.
The playground’s design is focused around the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design®, as outlined in Me2®, a program developed in partnership with PlayCore and Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities. The program provides an overview of why inclusion is so important, helpful research to help stakeholders understand diversity, inclusion, and social equity, and tips for designing inclusive play environments that benefit the whole child, whole environment, and whole community.®
To continue to celebrate Homecoming Community Park’s commitment to advancing play and recreation through best practices, the park will receive a certificate of recognition, become a part of a network of potential research sites, and will be promoted actively to other communities wishing to create recreation spaces using design and/or programming. To locate the new site, and other National Demonstration Sites, check out www.playcore.com/nds/map.
