Lewiston's Inclusive Playground

The City of Lewiston, with Tri-County Mental Health Services as its fiscal sponsor, is in the process of establishing a barrier-free environment where no child will stand on the sideline but can engage in play with peers, family, and friends at a first-in-Maine universally accessible playground – a place for all abilities!  Funds are needed to outfit the playground with equipment that has been designed with input from therapists and physicians. Marcotte Park in Lewiston has been designated as the location, and sections of the playground have been designed to fit the natural park topography, with a theme of “The River,” which was decided upon with community input due to Lewiston’s commitment to the development of Riverfront Island and enhancement of multi-use access to the Androscoggin River.

The playground will be a resource for children and families, regardless of physical, sensory, or developmental challenges, in an environment that supports compassion, inclusiveness, and mutual understanding. This Central Maine playground will enable the integration of individuals of all abilities, explained by one child as, “where I can feel like me.”  Over 16% of the nearly 5,500+ students enrolled in the Lewiston School System are children with special needs, and many of the  playground project’s partners serve hundreds of such children as well. Lewiston-based Child Development Services, for example, serves over 700 children from more than 16 towns, and its director, Greg Armandi, has stated, “An inclusive playground in Lewiston, Maine, will allow us to support a child’s whole development in a way that is fun, natural, and appropriate.”