UPPER WEST SIDE — Plans to redesign a local playground to make it more accessible to children with different abilities received a $400,000 grant from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
A group of Community Board 7 members formed a task force last fall to look at redesigning Bloomingdale Playground, an aging space on Amsterdam Avenue between West 104th and 105th streets they hope to transform by making it more accessible and inclusive.
The redesign plans, which are still in the drafting phase, will encourage play among children who have different needs, they said. For example, a child in a wheelchair wouldn't have to use a separate play area but would be able to play in the center of the space, members explained.
In describing the term "inclusive," CB7 member Catherine DeLazzero said "all the equipment is designed so that everybody can use it in an interactive way" at a recent board meeting.
A chess table would have room for a wheelchair to pull into it so that everyone can play rather than having separate accessible and non-accessible playground features, the group explained at a previous planning meeting.
The layout would also be inclusive through design tweaks, like "placing accessible swings in the center rather than on the sides," the group explained in a document outlining its vision.
The document describes the playground, which is also used by the neighboring P.S. 145, as a "test case" for inclusive design that the group hopes will become a model throughout the city.
"We’re hoping the redesign will encourage a genuine cultural shift… a movement to create [inclusive playground] standards," DeLazzero explained.
In addition to the $400,000 grant, the group is hoping other elected officials will contribute to the project.
A final budget has not yet been worked out, but the project would also ideally receive funding for ongoing educational sessions on inclusivity at the playground, DeLazzero said.
The group is working with the Parks Department, which will oversee and manage the redesign.
"Bloomingdale Playground is a top priority for NYC Parks and our elected partners," said a Parks Department spokeswoman. "We look forward to working with the community on a renovation of this vital neighborhood resource."
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