Where play knows no bounds
By Lori Shaffer
If childhood had a Bill of Rights, among them would be “the right to play” and “the right to play with your family and friends.”
Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, S.C., has been making that a greater reality for everyone with the opening of Leo’s Landing in August 2019. This two-acre universally inclusive playground provides a sensory-rich, developmentally-appropriate, fun, and safe playground, where children and adults of all abilities can play together.
“Playgrounds are places where children learn to negotiate, communicate, and trust themselves and others,” says Dolly Patton, director of the Saluda Shoals Foundation. “They are an important resource where children can interact physically, emotionally, and socially with their peers.”
While many of us take playing on playgrounds for granted, others can’t. In South Carolina, 13.8 percent of children under the age of 20 and 13 percent of adults ages 21 to 64 have a disability.
“Unfortunately, people with disabilities can face challenges on traditional playgrounds,” Patton says. “Even when they are able to access the play space, they may not be able to reach all of the equipment, which leaves them out of the majority of play activities. Our vision was to create a space that would change people’s lives. We wanted everyone—no matter their circumstances—to have this opportunity. Every child. Every family.”