PETERBOROUGH, ON (Monday, October 2, 2023) – While a new website is proving an invaluable public gateway for families to find accessible playgrounds in Ontario, it also has a profound personal meaning for a Peterborough parent who spearheaded its launch.

Julie Grant is the driving force behind the creation of the new Accessible Playgrounds Ontario website that launched this fall. The site highlights and maps inclusive playgrounds across the province, and allows users to identify and share information about new locations they may find.

But it’s Julie’s two-year-old son, Jude, who is at the heart of this virtual venture. Jude has cerebral palsy and developmental delays, and currently receives treatment at Five Counties Children’s Centre.

“Many families take going to the playground for granted, but ours isn’t one of them,” says Julie. “For kids like Jude, barriers and obstacles to play – especially on playgrounds – can leave them on the sidelines missing out on fun, fitness, and friendship with others.”

As a mother, Julie is passionate about the right of Jude and other children of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of play, especially on playgrounds. The idea for a virtual directory of accessible play structures came to Julie last spring. It resulted from her extensive web search that revealed big gaps in easy-to-find information on accessible play spaces in Ontario.

Initially Julie launched an Accessible Playgrounds Ontario Facebook group that became the basis for the website. With the help of family, friends and Facebook followers, Julie began identifying and documenting accessible playgrounds across Ontario, especially ones with rubber or turfed surfacing, which make using them easier to access for kids in wheelchairs or mobility devices. She also reached out to dozens of Ontario municipalities to get information about their play structures. Her new website now includes a directory of 200+ accessible playgrounds that lists locations, descriptions and photos.

“My sweet boy loves to crawl, sing, play with water and explore the world around him,” Julie says. “And although he doesn’t yet walk (he’s trying hard), or talk and is delayed, he still deserves the ability to play at a playground in some capacity. Every child deserves that, and this website will hopefully make these spaces easier to find for families.”

Inclusive playgrounds can have a pivotal role in letting children of all abilities engage in the joyful act of play, forging connections and camaraderie from an early age. Beyond nurturing physical, cognitive and social development, accessible champion the values of acceptance and unity.

For all these reasons, Five Counties’ Recreation Therapist Colleen Ristok is extremely grateful for Julie’s efforts to help connect more families to accessible playgrounds.

“Playgrounds are more than child’s play. In many ways, they help lay the building blocks for life,” Ristok says. “Play is how kids learn, and unstructured play opportunities – like those on playgrounds – benefit children in many ways. Kids can be active, explore, socialize, interact, problem solve and be independent.”

Julie knows there are still many obstacles to reaching a fully inclusive, accessible world for kids like Jude. “It may feel like globally we still have a long way to go for an inclusive world,” she says, “but let’s celebrate the efforts of our communities and highlight how far we have come with inclusive play.”

Category: General News