Playground accessible to disabled to open

The Children Play Accessible Park and Playground at Eisenhower Park... — The Children Play Accessible Park and Playground at Eisenhower Park is the county's first public accessible park and playground. (Nov. 2, 2011) Credit: Howard Schnapp

By AISHA AL-MUSLIMaisha.al-muslim@newsday.comNovember 6, 2011

Nassau County's first accessible public park and playground is scheduled to open in the spring, giving parents like Adele Arkin of Long Beach somewhere to take their children with disabilities.

The swings, slides and other equipment at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow will accommodate all children, including those with physical, cognitive and developmental disabilities. The new facility means children of all abilities can play together, county officials said.

Arkin, 36, said her daughter, Maya, 5, has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and was born with a cataract on her left eye. Her mobility often is impaired when her joints get inflamed.

"This playground would allow Maya and other kids to play freely regardless of what disabilities they have," Arkin said.

David Weingarten, founding director of Let All the Children Play, a Cedarhurst-based nonprofit foundation that promotes inclusion of children with disabilities in recreational activities, has been trying to make the playground a reality since 2007.

Construction on the $1.3 million facility adjacent to parking area 4 started in June through a partnership between Weingarten's group and the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums.

The park would allow able-bodied children to develop leadership skills and compassion, while children with disabilities would develop a greater level of self-confidence and feeling of acceptance, Weingarten said.

"This park gives them a level playing field to also recreate outside," said Weingarten, of Atlantic Beach, who said his 27-year-old son Adam has Down syndrome. "A park like this in Nassau County would only highlight the need not to leave children with disabilities on the sideline."

Adapted playground equipment is being installed at the two-acre site, including ramps that lead to low-level slides and seesaws with back supports. Swings similar to child car safety seats were installed along with bucket and tire swings for children with balance difficulties. The playground has padded safety surfacing throughout, an accessible comfort station, and multiple seating areas and benches to promote adult supervision.

"Many children with disabilities -- playing doesn't come easily to them," Weingarten said. "This allows them to get used to playing naturally."

Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach) helped secure a $250,000 grant from the New York State Community Capital Assistance Program to partially fund the project. The remainder came from state and county grants. Weisenberg's 53-year-old son Ricky is "profoundly retarded" and can't speak or cry, he said.

"This is a goal that we are trying to achieve so that our families can show the beauty of our kids," said Weisenberg, who is also an advocate for the special-needs community. "This is not political. This is personal."