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Last yeat. tthmuflvme resident complet- ed areseagd: catty d'sabled children within school play gmunda She studiedMitchurdt-Stmxflvifle's eight elementary sdtools. Thea town’s new schoots. thmagc and St. Branden. west notinduded in the study. Ms ()akes' reseaxch paper came about as a msult of Mitchell Wilson's suicide in 201 1. Ms Oach knew the family of the URI-year- old Pickering boy who was diagnosed with muscular dystmphy two years earlier and used a walker to protect him from being bumped into but also from falling ‘Mitchell constantly felt excluded. espe- within the free play areas ofhts school." Ms Cakes wrote. BY SAND“ .OMN sbolanflyrmg (“0m Ontario children spend one quaner of their school day playing in the yard The playgnxmd is also when: lhey..leam to share. work collaboratively. be empathetic towards others and lake for their actions It alm enables them to make fitnfimmmfomalsafingaccordmgm What she d‘mcwcmd Iocalty was that none of the playgnmnds accommodated disabled "I know how important play Ls for all chil- drenandwbenkkisar‘cexchuiedfiumplay. it's not good for their self-esteem. How are they supposed to make friends?" Ms flakes Quality friendships arr a pmtvmiw far- mr agains! bullying, acceding to Ms ()akl‘s' Watch Paper- Half of physically disabled chfldmn wen.- and communica: huflivd at Iowa once during the school term District School 80 versus H per cent of non~disabled chiidnm. The York (lath according to Ms Oates“ research. respond to intcn "It got me looking, 1 staned honking everyâ€" The Sun-Tribune. Suicide prompts call for accessible playgrounds ‘Mitchell constantly felt excluded, espcrially within thefiee play areas of his sduml.‘~ Barriers found at all eight Stouffl'ille school yards where and an I saw were barriels." Ms ()akes mid 1119 What she found at the eight school yards were wood or cement barriers surround- ing the playground?» perhneters that wen litemltytoohighforadisabbdchfldmget his or he: wluifl‘tait um. midng to the ‘Vsboden and cement barriets that sur- munduwpflimetenofmeplaygmundpm- vide a visud message saying who belongs andwhodoesn‘t belong.” MsOakeswrota She also dbooveted none ofthe schools tmdgxmmdmelevatedequipmemaccm tothephysimnyd'nableddlfld. AlotoftheMIsisplam-dmgflthgtho dtildhuoandmunddleschoolaIfl‘olM- ously play isn't a priority. II is. but is isn't.” accordingtoMsOakes Playgrounds in public elementai'y schools and all of their equipment am the msponsibfl. ity of the individual schools. which includes fundraising for them. according to Margam Roberts. superintendent of plant services for theYork Region School Bond. Ms Roberts said she sees more applica- gons for naturalized playgrounds versus tra- ditional ones with monkey bars and swings. anoschmlboardorprmincial regulations for what must be included in a This also matches the school boards priorities in terms of environmental aware- ness. adding naturalized playgrounds are less expensive and easier to fundraise for. “In my personal exgx‘rience. as a princi- pal. you try to build something all kids can access? Ms Roberts said. "You have‘to find a way to carve out area for cwrylxfly and bal- ance that out with the funds you have.“ “were are 3.29] students enrolled in “'hlll‘hllfl‘h.SIf)llfiVlll("S elementary whorls. nine of whom are physically disabled. accord- ing to Christina Chou-Hum. public affairs and communications for the York Region District School Board. The York Catholic school board did not respond to interview requests submitted by 'Thcyfiforget about the outdoor space for Heather Andrews of the town's accessibility committee prefers integrated pub not acces- sible ptrks‘flt’sabombeingirxtegrated. not said. School playgrounds are not the only area mm with ramps instead of stairs. no! ju: baking for children. So. too. are in Memorial Park. but also in the other low (own part: Water parks. hmver. are acces- parks. because "lu'ds will run up a ramp .3 Rather than spend money on smaller. accessible structures for all of the town‘s 3| parks and pathetic-5.1118 plan is to install larga structures in Memorial Park. according to Rob Raycmft. director of community and leisum for the town. “It would be a destination part." he told Ihe Sun-Tribune. ' “We're going to spend a whale lot of money Because it's we plan to do one and do it very he said. noting the equip- mentaloneMllbeinthesixfigumx Also expound to be in (he plans is a rub- berized 0r fall-resistant ground covering The town's path and parkencs cun'enuy utilize pea gravel as their ground surfaw. Mr. Raycmft is not sum ifthax will change. “Because the structure Ls not accessible. we‘re not sure there's value in Changing them all out." he Plans for Memorial Park are still in the design phase. 'lhc park is expened to be com- pletedbyZOZl. “All these kids today will be adults before it's done.’ said Heather Andrvws. curwm member and former chairperson of the town's accessibility advisory mmminw. Ms Andwws also noted she does not want the town to cmatc an accessible park but instead one that is integrated so “they can be there with their poor gruup. ‘Ihat's what it's all She suggested installing climbing appa- She Mitchell tried in play basketball with the other kids but they wouldn't let him. / “Wth stigmath 0r marginalizpd by society, kids phi up on il. Ewrybtxiy \hnuld he treated myually.‘ Ms Oahu-s said. rams with ramps instead of stain. not just in Memorial Park. but also in the other Iuwn parks. because “kids will run up a ramp as much as they'll run up stairs”. The one good thing the town has done to increase accessibility in parks. according to Ms is install pimic labk-s that enable wheelchair access on the ends. "It's about being integrated. not scpuml she “Mitchell told his family how many timex he was kept in during recess and lunch Ilnlt’N while the other children played in the school yard. School officials told the famin that Mitchell was kept inside for hix (M11 safety they feared he could he knocked down and injured.” Ms ()akes wmte. ‘ Ms ()akcs n‘fors back to the inspiration for her paper. “Kids are our community Whether they’re in a wheelchair or no! in a wheelchair. thcy'm imponam to society." \hc said. Playgrounds in publir elementary schools and all of their equipment are the responsibilio' of the individual 5(th “A” PNOIOISUQI KOC(II$(H( IOY