Before the Arkansas State Parks Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee, my daughter Katie Mayberry was asked by her daddy, Andy, “What do kids at your school do during recess?” Katie replied, “Play kickball, soccer, chase, and play on the playground equipment.”

Andy: “What are you doing during that time?”

Katie: “Nothing.”

Andy: “Why aren’t you playing kickball, soccer or on the playground equipment?”

Katie: “Because my wheelchair can’t get me there?”

Andy: “How does that make you feel?”

Katie: “Sad, lonely, left out.”

Katie has spina bifida, and has known the frustration of play grounds her whole life. It’s as if a sign in the front of the park says, “No wheelchairs allowed” because that is exactly what the playground surfacing and the playground equipment say to the child in the wheelchair.

Imagine being a parent who uses a wheelchair and watching your child fall from a swing and realizing that you can’t get over to her because of pea gravel separating you from comforting your child.

A new initiative in Saline County hopes to put an end to that frustration and exclusion. The Crossing at Angel Court will be the first fully-accessible and inclusive playground in Central and Southern Arkansas. The closest playground of this type is Jonesboro’s, Centennial Park, or The Jones Center in Springdale.

It’s a joint collaboration of Saline County, Little Rock South Lions Club and the I CAN! Arts and Resource Center. Over 20 other organizations are joining in the efforts as well by offering advice, volunteers, or financial support.

Saline County applied for a $250,000 matching grant from the State Parks Department and is anxiously waiting on an award letter. An oral presentation to the committee was given on Oct. 30.

The proposed park will be located in the community of East End, and will sit next to the I CAN! Arts and Resource Center, which offers extra-curricular activities like soccer, cross fit, art, music, dance, and cheerleading to children with disabilities such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and spina bifida. (For more information on those programs go to ICanArkansas.com)

The name, “The Crossing at Angel Court,” represents the crossing of people with and without disabilities, but also the crossing of generations, race and economic level. “At Angel Court” is significant of the park’s address, 1041 Angel Court, and the special children the park will serve.

A special pour-in-place surfacing on the playground will allow children with physical challenges the chance to walk or wheel safely to the equipment. Ramps will also provide the chance to get onto the equipment. Special consideration for children with sensory issues or visual impairment has also been discussed in the plans for the park.

Although this park might be the first for central Arkansas, it won’t be the only. According to new federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act, playgrounds must include equipment, materials and designs that provide children with disabilities the same opportunities as other children. New A.D.A. guidelines list access to playground equipment as a civil right.

According to the National Center on Accessibility, “play directly affects our physical, mental, emotional, and social well being. Through play, we are able to improve our physical fitness, build skills, work on problem solving, practice communication, set goals, share expectations, understand roles, and develop friendships.”

Any new playground, or addition to a playground must meet a higher set of standards set by the 2010 A.D.A. Those guidelines can be accessed at Access-Board.gov. Bill Botten of the United States Access Board says that most playgrounds are out of compliance because no one has complained. “It usually takes the person with the disability to complain to the Department of Justice about it,” says Botten. He says city, state, and local governments, as well as private businesses have had the obligation since 1990 to make these playgrounds accessible, but the 2010 updated requirements “tell them how.”

Besides a playground, the park will also feature the first in the country, fully accessible multi-purpose field. This field will also be made of a pour-in-place rubber surface. It will be smooth enough for wheelchairs yet soft enough for falls. The field will be used to offer soccer, cross fit, kickball, volleyball, and more.

The funding for this park is coming from different grant opportunities, business sponsorships, individual donations, and some volunteer labor. For more information on how you can help get this project off the ground, go to TheCrossingAtAngelCourt.com, or call 888-4140.