Ensuring all children get the same access to outdoor play, the City of Kerrville Parks and Recreation department unveiled the area’s first inclusive playground.
“Today marks not just the opening of a playground, but the opening of a space where children of all abilities can get outdoors, be active and play,” said Parks and Recreation Interim Director, Rosa Ledesma.
The playground comes equipped with plenty of features geared towards children with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. The entire playground is shaded, sits on turf ground cover, and has playground equipment that is wheelchair inclusive and sensory-focused.
“An accessible playground means that a child might be able to wheel up to the edge and watch their friends play. An inclusive playground means that all children play together on the same piece of equipment,” said Lynn Paulo, Senior Director of Special Education at KISD.
Kerrville’s newest playground allows for wheelchair users to access the swings and slides alongside their peers, eliminating barriers to outdoor play. Features also include a tactile braille alphabet, wheelchair-accessible rocker swing, and wide pathways.
“To say I’m excited about this park is a huge understatement. With this inclusive playground, everyone is together– and that’s been a dream of the Parks and Recreation and Special Education departments for a while,” said Paulo.
The playground is funded in part by a sales tax revenue bond issued by the Economic Improvement Corporation (EIC) as well as donations from organizations such as the Yellow Out Campaign.
“At EIC, we get a half-cent of every sales tax dollar to use for quality of life projects such as this one. It’s great to see those dollars at work and it’s great knowing that they don’t come out of your property taxes,” said Kim Clarkson, Economic Improvement Corporation President.
The Yellow Out Campaign, a nonprofit dedicated to Spina Bifida awareness, offered their financial support as well through a $10,000 donation.
“The Yellow Out Campaign was structured to raise awareness for spina bifida, the most common neurological and permanently disabling condition known in the United States–which I was born with. Our mission has continued to grow into supporting initiatives involving the development of inclusive play sites like the one here at Guadalupe Park,” said Yellow Out Campaign Founder and CEO, Reaghan Velasquez.
Velasquez is a 2023 Schreiner graduate who is making waves of change for children facing the same physical barriers to play she experienced.
“The Yellow Out Campaign began from challenges that we are eliminating here today with this playground – as I faced adversity with accessibility at my elementary school. Two days after writing a letter to the principal, we had an engineer build an asphalt sidewalk and ramp into that site, allowing me and other students who may experience the same difficulty to now enjoy the outdoors with peers,” said Velasquez.
With the children in attendance eager to test out the new playground, city council members, Parks and Recreation staff, and contributors of all kinds snipped the ceremonial ribbon and officially opened the playground.
Kerrville’s inclusive playground is located in Guadalupe Park at 700 Guadalupe Street.