It Takes a Community to Build Community
Randolph Township, Ohio (20 miles east of Akron) is a community of 6,000 people in Portage County. About one-third of the population is children, approximately 14% of whom are affected by some type of disability. But this community is committed to providing play and recreation opportunities for 100% of children in Randolph. With the help of Township trustees, Portage County commisioners and State Senator John Eklund, Fields Playground Group is planning a new inclusive playground that addresses the needs of the whole child, and of every child.
One of the renderings of the proposed inclusive playground in Randolph Township, Ohio (photo by Lisa Scalfaro)
The new playground will be constructed on the site of a former Middle School and is designed by DWA Recreation, GameTime's exclusive representative in Ohio. “Randolph Township is to be commended on their commitment to children of all abilities in their community,” said Taylor Kolanko of DWA Recreation. “By designing a play environment based on research and best practices for inclusive play, they will be able to enhance the quality of life for families for years to come.”
Susan Monegan, President of Fields Playground Group, began working on the plan three years ago with a mission to create a place where children of all abilities can play together. She and other members of her team are actively raising funds to make the project a reality. Currently, the nearest fully inclusive playground is more than an hour away.
Joining with Fields Playground Group to champion the project is State Senator John Eklund. "This is not just a Randolph Township project,” said Eklund. “It’s not just a Portage County project. When you consider that the nearest one, other than [the proposed Randolph site] is going to be two hours away, that’s quite a radius from which to draw people who would be more than eager to come down.”
Ohio State Senator John Ecklund and Fields Playground Group President Susan Monegan review research and plans for the new inclusive playground (photo by Lisa Scalfaro)
The new playground will be designed to support the development of physical, social-emotional and cognitive skills of all children. The surface will be made of poured-in-place rubber to allow for easy accessibility and minimal maintenance. Accessible and ground level musical instruments and interactive games will be included to encourage collaboration and creativity.
The community will seek support and funding from the State of Ohio. Portage County Commissioner Sabrina Christian-Bennett is another champion of the project and has offered to represent the group before the state legislature.
At the hear of this project is a community of people who want to provide the very best for everyone in the community. Said Monegan, "I am just a nana of a granddaughter with special needs. I just saw a need, and I tried to incorporate people into seeing that need with me.”
About GameTime: GameTime is a leading manufacturer of inclusive playgrounds, custom play spaces and outdoor fitness equipment. Headquartered in Fort Payne, Alabama, and with distribution around the world, our products combine play research with thoughtful design to create play and recreation spaces for people of all ages and abilities. We bring together the right corporate, civic and nonprofit partners to build healthy, active communities that make the world a better place for children and families.
About Fields Playground Group: Fields Playground Group is a 501© non-profit organization focused on building an inclusive playground in Portage County to serve the communities of Northeast Ohio. It is our goal to provide children the opportunity to play together no matter their ability level or age, bringing them the freedom to play, explore, create and imagine without limitations! Learn more at fieldsplaygroundgroup.org.
About DWA Recreation: DWARec has been in the parks and recreation business since 1988. We provide every amenity needed for your park, school, and playground site. We pride ourselves on efficiency, expertise, and the safety of all commercial park and playground equipment products we sell. Serving Ohio and Kentucky, our customers have come to know us as their exclusive GameTime playground representative, supplying them with commercial playground equipment and playground surfacing. Learn more at dwarec.com.
