Volunteers from the Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Family YMCA work on a new playground with special equipment for children with disabilities at Barton Park in Anaheim. Photo by Mark Eades
It was a beautiful, sunny day in Anaheim when 300 volunteers showed up at Barton Park. They were there to build a very special playground, one with play features for children with disabilities.
Photo by Mark Eades
They were also going to build it in just six hours on Saturday, January 26, 2019.
Photo by Mark Eades
The playground build was organized by KaBOOM! The non-profit organizes events like this for parks in disadvantaged neighborhood parks across the country.
Photo by Mark Eades
Here in Anaheim they worked with volunTEARS from the Disneyland Resort, the city of Anaheim, the Anaheim Family YMCA and others from the local community to build the playground. The Disneyland Resort also sponsored the playground.
Photo by Mark Eades
Included in the playground are a variety of play pieces with unique equipment and accessibility features that will allow all children to play together.
Photo by Mark Eades
The pieces include a merry-go-round style device with a Unity Spinner that includes seatbelts for wheelchairs. A Teeter Tunnel with a feature that will help children transfer out of a wheelchair and onto the teeter. Many of the items feature braille panels for this visually impaired.
Photo by Mark Eades
The playground’s design was aided by children from the area including students at neighboring Barton Elementary School. Volunteers from KaBOOM! met with more than 650 kids soliciting design ideas and drawings for this playground.
Photo by Mark Eades
Disneyland Cast Members took part in the playground build, as did members of the Anaheim Family YMCA, along with folks from the city of Anaheim.
Photo by Mark Eades