All children learn through play. Play is essentially a child’s work, where they learn valuable skills that last a a lifetime.
- Play is essential for healthy brain and physical development.
- Play encourages cognitive development and enhances a child’s ability to solve problems.
- Play promotes healthy social and emotional development.
- Play reinforces classroom learning and contributes to academic skills.
- Play helps children reduce anxiety, alleviate stress and recover from trauma.
There are no other parks in Lane County that are 100% accessible for children with disabilities. Read the Arc Park Playbook to see an analysis of local parks.
The Arc Park will provide a much needed space where children with disabilities can play alongside their non-disabled peers and challenge their physicality and enhance their mental well-being.
The Arc Park will include nearly two acres of fun with specialized equipment, accessible turf, a community village and amphitheater. Visit the Photo Gallery to see all the exciting park elements!
Meeting a Community Need
Dr. Beth Mount, a national consultant in the disabilities field, said, “Loneliness is the only real disability.”
The Arc Lane County wants to eliminate the isolation so many children feel when they cannot engage in play in the same way as their peers. The Arc Park will, quite literally, level the playing field.
While many parks comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Arc Park will go a step further. For example, at a typical playground children who use motorized wheelchairs for mobility, may only be able to drive up next to the sandbox, and they would only be able to watch the other children enjoy digging holes, building castles and reveling in the sensory experience that sand provides.
With the sandbox area at the Arc Park, children who use wheelchairs will be able to drive up and play at a part of the sandbox that will be accessible at chair level, thereby giving children the wonderful experience of stretching their imaginations and building sand castles with their peers.