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Editor’s Note: This column, “LBWA” (Leadership By Wandering Around), is based on the premise that, in order to find out what’s going on in the field, a parks and rec leader has to leave his or her desk and “wander around” the area of operations, talk to people, ask questions, and kick around ideas with the individuals in the thick of delivering services to the public. So the author will bring up issues and ask the leaders among the readership to share their knowledge and experiences.
I had an interesting conversation with a long-time recreation volunteer about “squeaky wheels,” and I thought readers might identify with it. It centers on the old adage: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
Colleen, who has volunteered with our parks and recreation department since 1999, first wrote me a letter commenting that she and her family had lived in our city about a year, and could not find a totally accessible playground for their physically handicapped son, who used a walker. Our playgrounds met ADA standards, but she pointed out there were times when he could play on some parts of the playground, but couldn’t necessarily get to all the parts. She wondered why there couldn’t be a playground that was totally 100-percent accessible to all children, regardless of abilities.
Then she did something that impressed me and still does today. She said she appreciated the city’s playgrounds, and wasn’t expecting to have this project done for her. She was willing to help get one built. For the next four years she dedicated a large part of her life to organize a special committee, beat the bushes for donations, help select a contractor, and complete a dozen other tasks. The result: a $150,000 “All Children’s Playground” with a rubberized, poured-in-place surface and 100-percent accessibility. It is by far the most-used playground we have, and draws people from far and wide, handicapped or not.