Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, July 26, 1984, Page 8, Image 8

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Photo by Michael Clapp
Gigi Aaron is working to get special equipment installed in a playground so disabled children,
like her daughter Jessica, can more safely enjoy themselves.
A playground for disabled
means ‘ear-to-ear’ smiles
Woman defines need
By Kim Carlson
Of the Emerald
Gigi Aaron has a dream.
She wants to build an “all
child playground.” As the
mother of a 6-year-old girl who
| has an orthopedic impairment,
Aaron is keenly aware of the
need for a playground that
features slides, merry-go
rounds and teeter-totters that
children with physical
disabilites can use. Eugene has
no such facility. But if the
27-year-old Aaron has her way,
it soon will.
A University senior who is
majoring in psychology and
working on a graduate degree in
special education, Aaron con
ceived the idea for the
playground last summer.
One day, while working as a
volunteer for the Association for
Retarded Citizens Respite Pro
gram, Aaron recalls patiently
strapping and buckling Libby
Bowels into a swing at a local
park. Libby, a child with
cerebral palsy, had never been
in a swing like that, says Aaron
— but she loved it.
Seeing Libby’s “ear-to-ear”
smile was enough, recalls
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Aaron now, to make her realize
that the need in Eugene for
playground equipment for
children with physical im
pairments is great.
So Aaron, a Eugene resident
for four years, got to work. In
the past 12 months she has
drawn support from many local
groups and agencies who are
willing to donate funds and ser
vices for the playground cause.
And the ASUO has donated
their telephone line to Aaron,
enabling her to make long
distance phone calls to find out
more about playgrounds for
disabled children in other
cities. (Roseburg is one city in
of play experience, these kids
won’t be able to swing or
slide,” she says.
The proposed model
playground would be built into
an existing park, says Aaron.
New equipment, which could
be used by both disabled and
non-disabled children, would
be added to the existing
playground. This type of in
tegration is important, she says.
“Through integration they
(disabled children) are able to
socialize with their non
disabled peers,” she says.
While the social benefits
children with disablities would
“Disabled kids, more than other kids,
need motion, but they do need special
equipment to enjoy it safely. ”
—Gigi Aaron
Oregon that has a model park
similar to the one Aaron hopes
to establish in Eugene.)
Finally, her efforts have
begun to pay off: The Eugene
Parks and Recreation depart
ment has agreed to submit a
proposal for playground fun
ding next spring. By conduc
ting a survey, Aaron hopes to
prove that the need for a
"model playground” is enough
to justify building it.
In the meantime, the parks
department has agreed to pur
chase some playground equip
ment that both disabled and
non-disabled children can use
and install it in some of the
local city parks.
The pieces to be ordered are
similar to traditional
playground equipment, except
they’re adapted for use by
children with disabilities,
Aaron says. "Without this kind
receive from such a playground
are great, the physical benefits
are just as important, Aaron
says. “Disabled kids, more than
other kids, need motion,” she
says. “But they do need special
equipment to enjoy it safely.”
Aaron hopes to have the
survey completed by the end of
the summer. The parks depart
ment is supplying the material
needed to conduct the survey,
and local agencies (the ARC, the
United Way, Directional Ser
vices and the parks department)
will distribute it.
Aaron encourages in
dividuals or groups who are in
terested in donating funds, ser
vices, information and ideas
pertaining to the playground
project to call her at 342-1551.
Aaron is optimistic about the
playground. "It’s a new idea,”
she says. “I’ve never done
anything like this before.”
4AIM