Edmond Schools Making Playgrounds Accessible For All Students

Some Edmond kids will start this upcoming school year with brand new playgrounds. Six out of the 17 elementary schools are seeing the recess time facelift. Improvements so kids with disabilities can play too.

Each of these playgrounds will be unique to the schools in Edmond, because the builders worked specifically with the principals to make sure every child in the school was able to get on the playground during recess.

Come the first day of school it'll be like Christmas in August for students at Angie Debo Elementary.

The brand new playground with slides, ropes, even Tic-Tac-Toe and more is almost done.

What makes this park special? Wheelchair bound children will no longer be kept from their friends at recess.

“We did notice that we needed to make them more accessible as our population with special needs grew. So, three years ago we started a plan over a four year period to make all of our playgrounds more accessible,” said Superintendent Brett Towne, Edmond Public Schools.

“The main goal is to be able to get these children to interact with children their own age and other kids rather than feeling isolated,” said Shan Shepherd, Noah's Park and Playground owner.

Shan Shepherd and his son Stephen like to say they're in the business of play. Something they believe all children should be able to do together with no limitations.

That's why a ramp was crucial to the new playground.

“What we are going to do is add a sidewalk to get up to the ramp. Once the students are on the ramp that allows to be able to access the playground with other students,” Stephen Shepherd, Designer.

And once on the play structure kids will have access to games.

Noah's park has five more playgrounds to install and they have a deadline of August 20th. That's the second day of school in Edmond.