Sulphur parks to get handicapped-accessible playground equipment

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - In April, a Sulphur mom made a Facebook post asking for a handicapped-accessible swing to be installed at a Sulphur park.

None of the Sulphur parks had any equipment of the sort and Ashley Crain said it was tiring on her son Mayson, who has Cerebral Palsy.

“I wanted my son to be able to experience what my other children have experienced and to be able to play as a family and not just have to sit there.”

Crain said not only is it important for the city to have that equipment, it needs to be in the same area.

That way kids like Mayson won’t feel isolated.

“I want it to be able to close the gap between neurotypical children, and children that require a little extra assistance with special needs," Crain said.

The Facebook post gained a lot of traction from community members and Sulphur Parks and Recreation.

Now, four months later, her request is finally coming to fruition.

“I just wanted a swing at first," Crain said. "And then the outcry from the public was like, ginormous, and the support and everything. And then after talking to SPAR, I was like well, some adaptive equipment of any kind we would be grateful for.”

It was after hearing Mayson’s story and realizing the need in Sulphur, that city officials decided to get involved.

“I was contacted by a city councilperson, in interest of what we had here in our parks for these situations, and we of course did not have anything," Mayor Mike Danahay said. "So, I in turn contacted one of the board members at SPAR, and from that conversation it evolved into where they will be implementing this equipment in their playgrounds.”

Danahay said the plan is to include handicapped-accessible equipment in every City of Sulphur playground where there’s already equipment.

SPAR said they’re in the process of getting quotes for the equipment, and a timeline will follow soon.

For Ashley, she said it’s more than she ever thought would come from that one Facebook post.

“I know it’s going to be a while before it’s all done, but I’m just thrilled to be able to take all of my children to the park, and all of them to be able to play at once," Crain said.

Copyright 2019 KPLC. All rights reserved.