About Us
Inspiring Stories
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More Than Just A Playground
“Cool!”
“That is what best describes a Boundless™ playground. There are so many incredible play elements that children of all abilities can participate in. The Boundless Playgrounds concept eliminates barriers, creates new pathways and allows children to play side by side. It allows children of all abilities to experience the thrill of play. As a parent and parks & recreation professional, that’s what is most exciting.”
“A Boundless™ playground is more than just a playground. It’s about bringing the community together. I am extremely thankful for the vision of Boundless Playgrounds and I applaud their efforts to make a difference.”
– Michael McCarty, parks & recreation professional
(Spearheaded build of Boundless™ playground when Director of Parks & Recreation, Longmeadow, MA. Now Director of Parks & Recreation, City of Fairfax, VA.)
Everyone is More Alike Than Different
“Wahoo!”
– Koushik, age 9, while swinging
“It’s more than just being able to have fun and to develop physically – there’s also the camaraderie and the sense that everyone is more alike than they are different. There are so many things that divide us, but this is something that’s a real living statement of compassion and love….Anytime a person or society reaches out to people with limitations, it has a ripple effect – a healing effect.”
– Bruce, Koushik’s dad, Barkhamsted, CT
Interacting with Other Kids
“I do things with Vanessa [who has Down syndrome] during the day that are therapy for her, helping her learn and reach her goals…That in essence is what these playgrounds are doing: Helping children with special needs.”
“It takes longer to learn things. We have to do more exercises with her to stimulate her muscles to make them stronger, and have used physical therapy to get her to roll over, to sit up, to walk up and down the stairs…I’ve noticed a change in my daughter, with all the physical activity throughout the day from the Boundless™ playground. It really makes a difference. And she’s interacting with other kids, which is just wonderful.”
“Now she’s playing on the Boundless™ playground unassisted. I’m still there as a worry-wart parent, but she’s very self sufficient.”
– Janelle Farrell, Vanessa's mom, Simsbury, CT
A Sense of Pride
”A Boundless™ playground is a place I can go with my grandson and enjoy a day in the sun like every other grandparent. Thomas has cerebral palsy, autism and clinically visual impairment. He is my first grandchild, the light of my life. He's had so many different issues, but he's breathtakingly beautiful...I was a bit nervous [the first time] taking him to Challenger Place Boundless™ playground. I was wondering how other children and parents would react to him. I should have realized that anyone who brings their children here know that Boundless™ playgrounds are built for all children. I felt very comfortable. I did not have to be over-protective and worry about Thomas being stared at and not fitting in."
"I cried well after we left the park. He actually walked up the climbing equipment, holding on to the railing, pushing my hands away, trying to help. If only you could have seen the sense of pride he had on his face. It was as if he climbed Mount Everest."
– Linda Ferrara, Thomas' grandmother, Middletown, NJ
“Our twin daughters Nicki and Jacki both love to play, but because Jacki has cerebral palsy, a typical playground doesn’t accommodate her wheelchair or walker. There aren’t activities Jacki can gain access to, never mind enjoy, on most playgrounds.”
“But Twin Meadows Boundless™ playground is a place where both our girls can play – independently and together. They can swing side by side, Jacki using a high-backed swing that provides extra support. They can race up a ramp to a universally accessible tree house. They can enjoy making music together on a xylophone. And they can both scoot underneath a play structure to a cozy gathering spot, because smooth surfacing accommodates a wheelchair or walker. In fact, playing at Twin Meadows is where Jacki has been most motivated to walk using her walker – because there are so many places on the playground she wants to explore.”
– Lori & Frank Mercede, Nicki & Jacki's parents, Stamford, CT
She Just Wants To Do It Herself
“Dominique, my third child, is nine. She has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and she uses a wheelchair. Most playgrounds have wood chips, and her wheelchair would get stuck like quicksand. My daughter wanted to just avoid parks.”
“When we heard a Boundless™ playground was going to open in Kalamazoo, we were just really excited. I had never before heard her express in words how she really wanted to play with the other kids until we went to the design date. It was heartbreaking.”
“Her big thing is: ‘Let me do it myself.’ I want to be able to say, ‘Go ahead.’ At a Boundless™ playground, I can do that. It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders. Even though it’s 30 miles away, I know where I’m going to be all summer. I don’t care what the price of gas is.”
– Florence Ingram, Dominique's mom, Three Rivers, MI
“I have a sincere and genuine passion for children who need assistance in terms of their physical capabilities. It’s just a personal passion. I think in a multicultural environment, children need to be exposed to children of all persuasions.”
“We had a ribbon cutting for our first Boundless™ playground in Chicago and we have recommended that universal access be part of any playground built from this point forward in Chicago.”
“I’ve traveled the country looking at Boundless™ playgrounds, and this is one of the few things I feel I can sink my energy into. I think Boundless Playgrounds has taken a hidden subculture and brought it to the forefront. Children with disabilities have the same need to play as everyone else.”
– Bob Pickens, Vice President, Chicago Park District, and former NFL football player, Chicago, IL
He Doesn’t Think of Himself as Different
“Living with a disability presents daily challenges, but an inclusive playground means an environment where differences are not an obstacle to play – or socializing. Marcus [who has cerebral palsy and uses a walker for outdoor recreation] can play with his peers and he can play independently at a Boundless™ playground.”
“Some of the reasons a conventional playground is not an option for Marcus are: uneven surfacing/terrain; equipment he can’t access with his walker; obstacles he might trip on; and sometimes just the difficulty of getting from the parking lot to the playground. The best thing about Marcus being able to play on a Boundless™ playground is that he doesn't think of himself as different."
– Carrie Berman, Marcus' mom, West Hartford, CT
People Can Do Extraordinary Things
“I first became involved with this cause when I was 7 years old. I met Amy Jaffe Barzach, who was building a playground named Jonathan's Dream (the inspiration for Boundless Playgrounds) for children of all abilities. She wanted help from kids like me, who had disabilities, to make sure that everyone could use it. I came up with the design for a glider boat swing, a wheelchair-accessible platform swing. In elementary school, Jonathan's Dream was my favorite place to play, and I didn't feel left out anymore.”
“As I got older I wanted the children in my hometown to have the same opportunity for integrated play that I had. I decided to build a Boundless™ playground at my former elementary school with the help of my family and classmates. It took a lot of hard work from our community, town, businesses, foundations, and ordinary people. We raised about $350,000. Seeing a town of 30,000 come together for such a worthy cause inspired me, and instilled in me a belief that people can do extraordinary things for the right causes.”
“Amy and Boundless Playgrounds transformed my world by showing me a way to rise up and help others. They have moved me to do greater things for all communities and that accomplishment means a great deal to me personally and to my community.”
– Matthew Cavedon, Boundless Playgrounds spokesperson/volunteer, Berlin, CT
The Freedom to Be a Kid
“He can walk with his walker right up the ramps. He can get up there
and look through the binoculars and be a pirate and do all the things
other kids can do on a playground. Even though we live in Fort Worth
now, we go out of our way to come back here...This gives him the
freedom to be a kid.”
– Kim Oaks, Austin's mom, Fort Worth, TX
“The playground at my school has stairs all over it, and because my
walker has wheels, it doesn’t go up steps easily. But at the [Reverchon
Park] playground, the walker has no problem. It’s good for me. It’s got
ramps...I can get to things.”
– Austin, age 9
“Sarah has cerebral palsy, which affects her ability to sit, stand, and walk. When Sarah was two, I had accepted an invitation to join a playgroup at our neighborhood park. My friends were chasing their children around the playground while I sat quietly reading to Sarah in her wheelchair on the sidelines. They complained about how active their kids were, which brought me close to tears as I imagined never having to scold Sarah from running away from me.”
“I started dreaming of an [universally] accessible playground where all children regardless of ability can experience the freedom and joy of playing together. Sarah’s physical therapist helped me find Boundless Playgrounds.”
“Suddenly, Freedom Playground was born. I am learning to lose my old expectations and dream new dreams. My daughter has taught me something very important about living: finding and using our abilities is a lot more productive than focusing on our disabilities. What you have is much more important than what you are missing.”
– Stefani Busansky, Sarah's mom, Tampa, FL
“David was born prematurely and developed cerebral palsy, mental retardation and epilepsy and used a walker to get around. Going to a typical playground was of no use to David. Before Boundless Playgrounds existed, I used to feel so alone in the world. I had no place to bring David to play.”
“But now he has a place to play with his sisters. He loves the red plastic swing and the wobbly bridge. He can climb to the top of the highest slide and come down all by himself. Now I meet so many other extraordinary families in similar situations playing at Boundless™ playgrounds. But the best part of all is that David learned to walk by playing at this kind of playground.”
– Debbie Horn, David's mom, West Hartford, CT
It Doesn’t Take Much to Make a Difference
“Perhaps the most significant impression you all have left with me is that it doesn’t take much to make a difference between exclusion and inclusion on a playground. Simple things like surfacing and pathways and thinking about how equipment is laid out can make ALL the difference in the world.”
“To push your child on a swing for the first time while sitting in your wheelchair, to catch your child as she comes zipping down the slide or peeking out from our big dragon structure – what simple joy this brings.”
– Carol Rose, community volunteer, Hillman, MI
Thank You for Helping Everyone Play
“I know the playgrounds are geared to include every child regardless of ability, but I just wanted to thank you from the perspective of a parent with a disability. My 18-month-old daughter is able bodied, but I am not.”
“It is great to have the opportunity to play on the playground with her and be able to get everywhere with her. I do not have to limit her play because Mommy cannot help her. It helps me remain independent and not have to rely on others to help me play with my own beautiful child. Thank you again for helping everyone play.”
– Ann Thompson, mom, Simsbury, CT
Dramatic Improvement in Testing Scores
“Our public school serves preschoolers without disabilities in a reverse inclusion program that is part of a school serving students with multiple challenges. To measure the success of the curriculum and the developmental growth of our students with disabilities, Baer School utilizes the Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP). With the addition of our Boundless™ playground, our students' LAP scores more than doubled within a six month period."
“Our new Boundless™ playground is the only possible explanation of this enormous growth.”
– Dr. Shari Heune-Johnson, Ed.D, Naples, FL
(Former Principal, William S. Baer School, Baltimore, MD, speaking about the Boundless™ playground that opened there in 2001.)
