SIDE STREETS: A playground for Abby -- and every kid

In 2006, Michelle Farrell quit the U.S. Olympic Committee and went to work to build a place where her daughter, Abby, and others like her could play.

Abby, 10, has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, crutches and braces to get around. But Abby has trouble playing on most playgrounds — even those that comply with federal laws for handicap accessibility.

So Michelle, a former Olympic gymnast, became a community activist and began a campaign to educate Colorado Springs parks officials and the public about the need for playgrounds where everyone can play. Where wheelchairs don’t sink into sand and gravel. Where stairs don’t create impossible barriers to kids on crutches. Where swings are not dangers to avoid.

And it’s not just about kids. Chris Lieber, city parks official, said he was moved by the story of a veteran — an amputee — awaiting the day he can take his daughter to the top of the slide.

“For me, as a father, that was a powerful image,” Lieber said. “Michelle certainly has changed the way we look at playgrounds.”

Three years later, construction is underway on just such a playground in Memorial Park on the edge of Prospect Lake. By spring, kids like Abby will no longer need to be driven to Broomfield to play unassisted with friends.

It will look like common playgrounds. But the differences will be huge. It will be “universally accessible.”

That means it will have ramps allowing wheelchairs to reach its highest levels. Saucers and high-back swings will support children who can’t sit on their own. There will be sand areas where children in wheelchairs can roll up and play, not just get stuck. And it will have slides and climbing pods and talk tubes.

Most importantly, it will allow Abby to play alongside able-bodied friends. No longer will she be left out, barred from the fun and the important creative play that teaches children so much about peer interaction.

“On a universally accessible playground, I just feel happy,” Abby said last week. “There are no barriers for me. I feel like I can do whatever I want.”

That’s all Michelle ever wanted for Abby — something most parents take for granted for their children.

“Physical activity has been really important in my life,” Michelle said. “That’s why the playground was so important to me. Kids want to be in the action. They learn so much on the playground. They learn to get along, to take leadership roles, to negotiate. There is inventive, imaginative play going on. It’s a big self-esteem, self-confidence builder.”

Lieber said the Springs is indebted to Farrell for raising money and awareness for the playground.

“The entire community is benefiting from her efforts,” Lieber said. “The notion of all children being on equal footing, playing together is a powerful message.

“She has been a tireless advocate and has done an outstanding job.”

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See the Farrells on my blog at
 gazette.com/blogs/sidestreets