A playground project in Omaha will receive $50,000 for development, Omaha City Council confirmed
OMAHA, Nebraska – The Omaha City Council has approved $50,000 in special money for a playground project.
According to the business sponsoring a new playground project near Zorinsky Lake, Imagine Inclusion, the Omaha City Council granted $50,000 in special funds for a new inclusive playground.
Imagine Inclusion asserts that the park will replace a play structure older than 30 years and be more inclusive than the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates.
Don Rowe, a member of the Omaha City Council, nominated the park for the additional funding. Supposedly, the park will be the only inclusive and accessible playground west of 84th Street.
Meaghan Walls, co-founder of Imagine Inclusion and an expert in universal design, explains, “When we say ‘accessible,’ the goal is really to go beyond the ADA, because what it requires is woefully inadequate for where we are today as a community and still leaves many children and parents on the sidelines.”
Imagine Inclusion asserts that the park will feature color-coded play spaces, a tactile guide for people with vision impairments, a symbol-based communication board, and a swing accessible by wheelchair.
“There are numerous parts to this, but the most obvious is a ramp design that makes the entire building, not just a few elements on the ground, a location where everyone can play together. This is evident if you’ve observed children with impairments attempting to play with their typically developing peers.
The park initiative has now raised almost $600,000 in funding. Before building begins in spring 2023, organizers plan to raise $1 million.
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