State grant pushes Hudson Inclusive Playground toward finish line
Staff report
Megan Higgins’ and Amanda Weinstein’s daughters are friends who can’t easily play together at Hudson parks. Isabella Higgins, 8, has a neuromuscular disorder that limits her ability to play on typical playground equipment.
“It takes her body extra time to move,” Megan Higgins said. “I always tell people, for her, it’s like having 10 pounds of weight tied to each leg, each arm and around her waist, and that’s how it feels for her to move through life.”
Although city parks are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), that’s “basically the minimum standards” and not always sufficient for children with a variety of disabilities, Weinstein said.
Nearly three years ago, Higgins contacted City Manager Thomas Sheridan to ask about adding a few pieces of accessible equipment to a playground. Now, she hopes to break ground this summer on what she called Summit County’s first, “truly inclusive” playground for all ages at Middleton Park.
“My whole goal has been to just normalize disabilities and normalize medical devices,” said Higgins, whose daughter has worn orthotic braces on her feet since the age of 1.
With a recent $680,000 award from Ohio’s One-Time Strategic Community Investment Fund, the Hudson Inclusive Playground committee has about $800,000 more to raise for the $3.1 million project. Hudson City Council submitted the playground for consideration as part of the state’s capital budget process in late 2023 and formally approved the grant on Jan. 7.
“An inclusive playground creates an environment where people of all abilities can have fun in the park,” Jody Roberts, the city’s communications manager, said in an email. “The playground design will enable and empower a diverse population to enjoy the benefits, social interaction, and fun of a playground everyone can use.”
Weinstein, a member of the 14-person playground committee, said the city has helped apply for grants, such as the strategic fund, in an effort to secure $1.8 million for the playground infrastructure.
“One of the issues was, a playground like this, is it takes a lot of upfront design, and it costs more,” she said. “So instead of mulch, you need rubber flooring. Rubber flooring costs more than mulch.”
Her husband, a former state representative and newly elected Democratic state Sen. Casey Weinstein, said the one-time fund of excess federal COVID-19 relief money was meant for transformational projects, and the regional impact of the “first really accessible, inclusive playground in all of Summit County” made it ideal.
“It would be something, an amenity that can be used by so many people in so many different communities,” the state senator said.
A $430,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities through the Summit County Developmental Disabilities Board allowed for the purchase of playground equipment, which the city of Hudson has stored.
U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, also has requested $850,000 in federal funding for the playground.
The playground committee has received smaller grants between $1,000 and $10,000 and raised more than $200,000 in individual donations through the Hudson Community Foundation. The group is still seeking corporate sponsorships and naming rights agreements.
A video of the playground design, created by GameTime, is also available online. The plan includes ramp access to equipment, sensory play panels, spinning and climbing features, and various elements that allow people with and without disabilities to play together. Family-style restrooms will be added, and the parking lot will be expanded and paved.
Higgins said she drew inspiration from Mila’s Hope and Rowyn’s Dream Playground in Randolph Township. She and her husband moved to Hudson because of the school district’s exceptional special education program but realized opportunities outside of school were lacking for the disability community.
“I think it’s really important that we have a playground here because people move here for the special education program,” she said.
Once work starts, Higgins said the playground could be complete within three to four months.