Leo’s Landing
Where play knows no bounds
By Lori Shaffer
Photos: Trey Love at All American Imaging
If childhood had a Bill of Rights, among them would be “the right to play” and “the right to play with your family and friends.”
Saluda Shoals Park in Columbia, S.C., has been making that a greater reality for everyone with the opening of Leo’s Landing in August 2019. This two-acre universally inclusive playground provides a sensory-rich, developmentally-appropriate, fun, and safe playground, where children and adults of all abilities can play together.
“Playgrounds are places where children learn to negotiate, communicate, and trust themselves and others,” says Dolly Patton, director of the Saluda Shoals Foundation. “They are an important resource where children can interact physically, emotionally, and socially with their peers.”
While many of us take playing on playgrounds for granted, others can’t. In South Carolina, 13.8 percent of children under the age of 20 and 13 percent of adults ages 21 to 64 have a disability.
“Unfortunately, people with disabilities can face challenges on traditional playgrounds,” Patton says. “Even when they are able to access the play space, they may not be able to reach all of the equipment, which leaves them out of the majority of play activities. Our vision was to create a space that would change people’s lives. We wanted everyone—no matter their circumstances—to have this opportunity. Every child. Every family.”
It Takes A Village
Realizing Leo’s Landing wasn’t quick … or easy. It took three years, many meetings, a dedicated team of community volunteers and park staff, much research and brainstorming, and $1.7 million to build. But since opening, more than 23,000 people have played there, taking advantage of a truly inclusive play space where a child in a power chair can swing with his brother; where an autistic child can engage in the natural world without becoming overwhelmed; and where a mother in a wheelchair can play music in a nature sound garden with her child in a barrier-free environment.
“Too often, simply following guidelines does not lead to a playground that is actually useable for all children.”
“This playground will give children and adults with and without disabilities the opportunity to play together and learn from each other,” Patton says. “When we play together, imaginations are opened, and lives are changed.”
Leo’s Landing was inspired by Leo Bugenske, a six-year-old born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a terminal neuromuscular disease that is the top genetic killer of young children. It occurs in nearly one of every 6,000 births and requires 24-hour skilled care.
In 2015, the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission (ICRC), a special-purpose district that operates Saluda Shoals Park, and the Saluda Shoals Foundation, the park’s non-profit fundraising entity, received an email from Leo’s mother, Meredith. She requested a platform swing so Leo, and other children like him who are confined to a mobility device, could experience swinging. This email was the catalyst to develop an interactive and accessible playground.
“An inclusive playground is not just adhering to standards and requirements,” Meredith Bugenske says. “Too often, simply following guidelines does not lead to a playground that is actually useable for all children. It can still have limitations, and it does not always encompass the concept of inclusive play.”
ICRC and the Saluda Shoals Foundation Board of Directors recognized that this unique playground would address a need in the community.
Gaining Ground
A team was formed of staff, Leo’s family, and community volunteers to research, plan, and raise private funds for the playground. In 2016, the team partnered with Shane’s Inspiration, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating inclusive playgrounds and programs for children of all abilities. Shane’s Inspiration provided project-development guidance from conception through design at no cost. A Request For Qualifications was issued, and a Columbia-area landscape architect was hired. A two-day brainstorming session was held at Saluda Shoals Park with teachers, school administrative staff members, special-needs nonprofit organization representatives, parents, community leaders, business representatives, board members, and park staff.
“We have gone far too long teaching children to be separate from those with disabilities. We need a place where the whole family can play together.”
This group participated in exercises designed to discover and imagine a playground that would address the needs of all people, of all ages, with and without disabilities. Ideas included having bathrooms with adult hydraulic changing tables so parents are not forced to change older children on the bathroom floor; having bathrooms large enough to accommodate wheelchairs and caregivers at the same time; and a metal slide for children with cochlear implants, since these children cannot slide on plastic slides.
Once disabilities were identified and information collected, the planning team worked to select inclusive equipment for the playground, and a Request For Proposal was issued for the initial $300,000 equipment budget based on a Community Development Block Grant. Over the next two years, the foundation raised an additional $1.4 million in private funds and expanded the scope of the project.
The research, brainstorming, and planning resulted in a colorful playground that provides all children the opportunity to have fun and explore. The space encourages creative play through imagination and activities to experience the smells, textures, and wonders of the natural world.
“We have gone far too long teaching children to be separate from those with disabilities. We need a place where the whole family can play together,” Meredith Bugenske says. “This includes the dad in a wheelchair with young children who desperately wants to be a part of their play. It includes the sibling with autism, and the friend in a power chair. A metal slide so the child with a cochlear implant can slide, too. The list can go on and on; the point is inclusive. Every child. Every adult.”
Working Out The Details
The playground has an imaginative treehouse play structure, echoing tunnels, fun musical instruments, an exciting glider, animal sculptures, and slides. It also includes an entryway bridge over a small pond, intended to remind people of the environmental nature of the park. With the help of the SC Arts Commission, a call for artists was held to solicit design ideas for artwork to distinguish the bridge as well as the donor recognition wall. Greg Fitzpatrick, a nationally recognized artist from Lexington, S.C., was selected for his unique design that expressed joy while acknowledging Leo Bugenske. Greg’s design included 22 steel and glass birds that guests are encouraged to find while they play.
While Leo’s Landing has been overwhelmingly embraced by the public since its opening, Saluda Shoals noted some challenges that it has since addressed:
Operating an outdoor park in Columbia, S.C., is always a challenge in the summer when temperatures soar. The playground required the addition of shade structures, two for the metal slide and one for the glider, as well as three misting stations. Additionally, a covered 50-person picnic shelter was donated, located in the open space adjacent to the playground. Landscape plans call for trees, but it will take time for them to become large enough to provide significant shade.
The playground is located within Saluda Shoals Park, a 480-acre environmental riverfront park, which requires a $5 parking fee. To make the playground accessible to all families, the Saluda Shoals Foundation developed a scholarship fund that provides annual passes for underserved families through partnerships with area non-profits.
Signage needs have been identified to explain the rules: no dogs allowed except service dogs, no smoking, no bikes, no food on play equipment (as some children have food allergies).
The water-table play element has been modified for safety. The feature included medium-sized rocks intended to be placed on the waterfall to teach children about water flow. Unfortunately, rocks were being thrown and could have injured other children. To correct this problem, small gravel replaced the rocks.
“Building this wonderful, inclusive park is just the first step,” Patton says. “We are committed to maintaining Leo’s Landing and making sure it remains a vibrant, safe, clean, and up-to-date playground that all children and families can enjoy. The benefits of an inclusive, accessible playground extend to all and add value to our community.”
Lori Shaffer is the Marketing Director for the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission in Columbia, S.C. Reach her at lshaffer@icrc.net.
References
Erickson, W., Lee, C., and von Schrader, S. (2016). 2015 Disability Status Report: South Carolina. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI).