Civitan Club sponsors inclusive playground at Highland Park

Apr. 29—Children with disabilities will have another place to play as the Meridian First Ladies Civitan Club looks to install inclusive playground pieces at Highland Park.

Civitan Club President Kim Houston said the plan is to expand the current playground at the park to the southeast toward the pavilion at the corner of 44th and 39th avenues. The club wants to install two swings and two panel boards for children with disabilities to use.

The swings, Houston said, are designed with a special harness to accommodate people with disabilities, and the panel boards, which include games like tic-tac-toe, will feature three activities each. The goal, she said, is to provide equipment so that every child has an opportunity to play.

"Any child, regardless of disability, should be able to use those swings," she said.

Part of the Civitan Club's mission, Houston said, is to help address unmet needs in the community, especially among those with disabilities, and expanding access to inclusive playground equipment is a way local club members can fulfill their goal. The group is also planning scholarships to encourage students studying special education and is working with Meridian Public School District to provide accessible play equipment to its students as well, she said.

"We've been on a mission to make sure we're fulfilling the goals of the parent organization," she said.

Planet Playground, located at Northeast Park, currently offers the only public inclusive playground equipment in the city, Houston said. That equipment, however, is not accessible to everyone as not all families have the means to travel across town. The Civitan Club, she said, wants parents to know there is another option that is closer to home.

"We want them to know that there is a place that you don't have to go all the way to Northeast Park," she said.

In its April 16 meeting, Houston told the City Council the club will cover the costs of preparing the site for the playground, as well as the equipment and installation for a total investment of approximately $21,000.

The investment, she said, is possible only through community support, with the annual fall pecan sales acting as Civitan Club's largest fundraiser. By purchasing the pecans, she said, residents help the club tackle projects like the inclusive playground and reach its goals.

Houston said the club is wasting no time and is already moving on getting the necessary work underway. Following approval by the City Council on April 16, she said a contract has been signed and the project will get underway. If all goes according to plan, the new equipment will be installed in mid-June.

For more information about the Civitan Club and its mission, visit civitan.org. Anyone interested in joining the Meridian First Ladies Civitan Club can contact Houston at 601-490-3248.

Contact Thomas Howard at [email protected]