Arc building accessible playground in Iowa City

IOWA CITY - The Arc of Southeast Iowa, which works with children with disabilities, is constructing an inclusive playground that will be open to the public.

'We think all kids should have the right to play and learn and grow together,” said Jorja Ludeking, quality assurance specialist for the organization.

The Arc received a $75,000 grant from the city of Iowa City to build the playground.

'We have kids that suffer form overstimulation and understimulation and a lot of them have sensory issue that go along with their disability so this will help relax some of these kids,” said Karen DeGroot, president of the organization.

A group of volunteers will help erect the playground Thursday and Friday on the organization's property. The equipment was purchased from Landscape Structures Inc. and a representative from the company will be on-site to oversee the construction.

Seventy-five percent of the playground will be accessible to anyone, according to the organization. The features include swings made for wheelchair-bound children and a sensory garden with various plants to see, touch, smell, and taste. The playground is meant to serve as an educational and relaxing environment.

Ludeking said the original intent was for the playground to be used by the Arc's after school program and camps.

'We decided to open it up to the community because we think it will be a healthy way for kids with disabilities to interact with kids who don't have disabilities,” DeGroot said. 'When you're exposed to that, you start looking at people as people.”

This is the second accessible playground recently announced in the Corridor. Variety, The Children's Charity announced earlier it plans to build an inclusive playground at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids.

Bri Swope, an instructor in the Health and Human Physiology Department at the University of Iowa, and the students in her class on inclusive play will be volunteering Friday to help construct the Arc's playground. Swode said inclusive play is important because playing is how kids learn about sharing, personal space, and many other social behaviors.

'Play is the language of children,” she said. ' ... Having that opportunity to play for all students and all kids in the community will be really wonderful.”