GREENSBORO, N.C. — Parks and recreation departments throughout North Carolina are making inclusive play a top priority.
One of the latest and largest efforts is in Greensboro with the Up in the AIR playground at Keeley Park, which provides access for kids with and without disabilities and educates people about the barriers they experience.
Ashley Collier has a child with cerebral palsy, and she says this playground gives her daughter, Macie, the ability to participate and have fun because it has different design elements.
She explains the playground floor is easier to walk on, and the swings and ziplines have seatbelts.
"You can tell this section was seated, so it has this adaptive chair so you can put a variety of sizes and ages and abilities in this chair, and then the parent can help push them so they get to experience the zipline, which is the first time she's ever been able to do it,” Collier emphasizes.
It’s the biggest playground west of Raleigh, and the town of Clayton also recently opened an all-inclusive playground with the same grant Greensboro received with the goal of making parks more accessible.