Two All Ability Playgrounds are planned for Allen County.
Play is not always available to people with disabilities. Allen County Board of DD Superintendent Theresa Schnipke and The Arc Executive Director Brad Perrott told us that that is why they have begun a $1.25 million fundraising campaign to create All Ability Playgrounds at the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Camp Robin Rogers. They say the playgrounds will be both accessible and inclusive. "People of all abilities are able to play on the equipment. It is designed to meet the physical needs of people with disabilities but people of all ages and abilities are welcome and encouraged to play." The proposed equipment will include such things as a merry-go-round that will accommodate wheel chairs, companion swings, accessible see-saws and sensory-friendly areas. They hope to build the playground at Camp Robin Rogers in 2020 and the playground at the Allen County Board of DD in 2021.
Also at Monday's meeting, Dr. Susan Hubbell summarized the recently released report, The State of Ohio's Health. It's bad. Ohio ranks 46 among all 50 states and the District of Columbia for health value. Hubbell says factors that contribute to this include our social and economic environment, healthcare system, physical environment, and public health & prevention. Recommendations from the report are to create opportunities for all Ohio children to thrive; invest upstream in employment, housing and transportation, and to build and sustain a high quality addiction prevention, treatment and recovery system.
