Groundbreaking for Inclusive Playground in Texas This Week

The groundbreaking for a long-awaited inclusive playground in Pearland will now be on Sept. 26 after project organizers saw they could start sooner than previously projected.

“We found an opportunity to start earlier than we expected, and we certainly don’t want to hold it up,” she said. “We hope to get a new project timeline (and completion date) soon.”

The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. at the park site. It’s next to the new Miracle League fields for disabled athletes in the sports complex, 13050 Shadow Creek Parkway in Pearland, Texas.

The $1.36 million playground has been funded via individual and corporate donations as well as governmental grants. It will accommodate children of all abilities, including those with cognitive delays and sensory processing disorders.

It was dubbed the Ed Thompson Inclusive Park after the Pearland state representative helped to secure a $750,000 grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the project.

The park will include equipment to foster sensory play such as sound tubes and drums. Children who are autistic, blind or deaf or hard of hearing also will find elements to enjoy.

The park will be wheelchair-accessible, as will some of the play structures. This allows children of all abilities to interact and play together side by side.

Pearland City Council on Aug. 8 approved a $574,457 contract with Lonestar Recreation of Texas to install the surface on the upcoming 9,200-square-foot playground.  In April, the council awarded a $787,082 contract for the purchase and installation of playground equipment, for a total of $1.36 million.

So far, the foundation has secured the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant and $426,000 from community donors. The city of Pearland also is pitching in $256,000, though the foundation will reimburse the city as fundraising continues.

      Guide for choosing a wheelchair ramp from Amramp, an accessibility company
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