The story of this playground project was born from a simple concept – inclusion should be the norm, not the exception, and "play" should be accessible to all.

 

Everyone's Playground will allow for organic play and interaction amongst children and adults of all ages, interests, and abilities. 

 

Sparked by two kindergarten friends in 2018 who were challenged by the inaccessible terrain of their playground, a vision of a truly universal and accessible play space was born.

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Penny came home from school one day and relayed her frustration and disappointment to her Mom. "I want to play with my friend Nola on the playground, but she can’t get to me on the wood chips.”

 

You see, Nola has cerebral palsy and at the time required a wheelchair to move around. The soft mulch and uneven surfaces of the playground meant that she had to be parked in one location or in an adaptive swing for much of her recess time. Meanwhile, her friends without mobility limitations were free to move from place to place without her. 

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 The vision of Everyone's Playground will be developed on the premises of Kitty Hawk Elementary School and 

will replace the current school playground(s). This space will be open year round and will be accessible to the general public after school hours, in the evenings, on weekends and holidays, and all throughout the summer in addition to allowing for accessible play for students and staff during school hours 

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We invite everyone to connect towards the prospects of this development for our community and children, by our community.  Everyone's Playground will be a project that we hope will jumpstart a movement on the Outer Banks to make inclusion and accessibility the norm, not the exception. At Everyone's Playground we believe that no obstacles mean limitless accessibility and that while everyone is different, everyone belongs.