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Courtney’s Sandcastle Universally Accessible Playground
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Courtney’s SandCastle is an award-winning universal playground, which is part of the Vista Hermosa Sport Park in San Clemente, California. It serves children of all abilities, and is especially designed for children with physical, mental and sensory disabilities.
The San Clemente Junior Woman’s Club, Friends of the San Clemente Beaches, Parks & Recreation Foundation, and the City of San Clemente came together in 2002 to build a universally accessible playground especially designed to create an engaging, interactive play environment that allows children with mobility and sensory issues to play freely alongside their able-bodied peers. Courtney’s Sandcastle, with its Phase II sensory garden, promises to provide a whimsical place where all children (and parents) will enjoy playing together, regardless of their abilities.
This playground is named for Courtney Faye Smith, confined to a wheelchair by a rare muscular degenerative disease – Spinal Muscular Atrophy. When Courtney and her friends visit local parks together, Courtney is unable to participate because her disabilities don’t allow her to access all the play equipment, as are some 18,000 children in Orange County with disabilities. Play is not simply a desire for children – it is an absolute necessity for developing language, motor and social skills; interdependency; taking turns and meeting challenges; instilling a sense of self-determination and self-esteem; enhancing cerebral/motor development and learning to respect and accept diversity through play.
Courtney’s Sandcastle was designed by Richard Fisher Associates, a landscape architecture firm with over 30 years of experience, who has designed many premier parks and playgrounds in Southern California. Summers/Murphy & Partners completed the design and helped provide the framework for the Phase II Sensory Garden.
Phase I of the Courtney’s SandCastle universal playground opened on February 25, 2012. This phase includes:
a Castle themed gateway into the playground complete with flags and stone walls and a Sand-like castle sculpture;
a poured in place rubber play surface for almost total access to play elements;
an ornamental metal fence enclosure;
a large, simulated Castle themed play structure for 5 to 12 year olds, with gently sloping ramps leading to various play elements such as slides, interactive panels and other play elements;
a simulated Pirate Ship themed play structure for 2 to 5 year olds, with a ships wheel and talking tubes from the upper deck to the ground, slides, interactive panels and other play elements;
a Sea Serpent climbing feature in the Sand Play Area;
an accessible Sand and Water Play Table next to the Sand Play Area;
a simulated rock climbing boulder;
a Swing Set with tot sized seats;
a Swing Set with strap seats and ADA seats complete with back support and harnesses;
Boulder-like Benches; and
a covered Picnic Shelter with picnic tables.
The Phase II Sensory Gardens (coming soon!) will include:
a Sensory Garden with plants to provide a wide variety of different sensory stimulation;
a meandering path;
Musical Panels;
a Floating Marble Ball water feature; and
a Simulated Tide Pool.
The Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation continues to rally community support for this project through independent, corporate, and family donations. The City of San Clemente has provided the Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation with a matching grant up to $110,000 to help complete the Phase II Sensory Garden. For every dollar received, the City of San Clemente will match that amount. The goal is to raise a total of $220,000 (including the City’s matching funds) by May 1, 2013. For more information about the Courtney’s SandCastle universal playground or to make a tax-deductible contribution, visit the Courtney’s SandCastle website at www.courtneyssandcastle.org. The Courtney’s SandCastle Charitable Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
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