Equip Local Parks with Accessible Playground Equipment for Disabled Children
Equip Local Parks with Accessible Playground Equipment for Disabled Children
The Issue
Petition for Accessible Playground Equipment for Children with Mobility Aids and Hearing/Visual Disabilities
Image Description: red hollyhock in bloom at Central Park in Davis, Ca. Red represents physical disabilities, and hollyhocks can be a symbol of safety.
I grew up with the privilege of enjoying playground equipment. Now, as a young adult living with chronic illness who is a proud member of the UC Davis Disabled Student Union, I use mobility aids and hear from people in the disabled community how meaningful accessible playgrounds would have been to them as children. As of 2019, approximately 4% of children in the United States are born with disability (Young, Natalie A. E., 2021, Census.gov). Davis partially updated a single park in 2014 to have some wheelchair accessible equipment, but I have found no record of wheelchair accessible swings for children, braille on playground equipment, or sign language aids for deaf children and hearing children to communicate in a more accessible way.
According to the City of Davis website, there are *41 neighborhood and community parks. I am petitioning for at least 3 of these parks to be equipped with accessible features for disabled children to enjoy, including ramps and accessibility features that will ensure that the new equipment is fully accessible for the children with the disabilities. Children should have diverse opportunities to play and enjoy parks within a suitable distance of their home. For easy access to those with less transportation opportunities, one accessible park in North, South, and Central Davis respectively should be the minimum with accessible equipment. In the designing of these playgrounds, consulting with disabled children and/or adults is imperative to ensure accessibility.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this petition,
Jodi Dorn
Undergraduate Student at UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
*37 existed at the publishing of this petition, the new parks have not added accessible features for disabled children.
79
The Issue
Petition for Accessible Playground Equipment for Children with Mobility Aids and Hearing/Visual Disabilities
Image Description: red hollyhock in bloom at Central Park in Davis, Ca. Red represents physical disabilities, and hollyhocks can be a symbol of safety.
I grew up with the privilege of enjoying playground equipment. Now, as a young adult living with chronic illness who is a proud member of the UC Davis Disabled Student Union, I use mobility aids and hear from people in the disabled community how meaningful accessible playgrounds would have been to them as children. As of 2019, approximately 4% of children in the United States are born with disability (Young, Natalie A. E., 2021, Census.gov). Davis partially updated a single park in 2014 to have some wheelchair accessible equipment, but I have found no record of wheelchair accessible swings for children, braille on playground equipment, or sign language aids for deaf children and hearing children to communicate in a more accessible way.
According to the City of Davis website, there are *41 neighborhood and community parks. I am petitioning for at least 3 of these parks to be equipped with accessible features for disabled children to enjoy, including ramps and accessibility features that will ensure that the new equipment is fully accessible for the children with the disabilities. Children should have diverse opportunities to play and enjoy parks within a suitable distance of their home. For easy access to those with less transportation opportunities, one accessible park in North, South, and Central Davis respectively should be the minimum with accessible equipment. In the designing of these playgrounds, consulting with disabled children and/or adults is imperative to ensure accessibility.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this petition,
Jodi Dorn
Undergraduate Student at UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
*37 existed at the publishing of this petition, the new parks have not added accessible features for disabled children.
79
The Decision Makers
Supporter Voices
Petition created on August 4, 2024