‘She Built This for Me!’: How One Mom Built an All-Abilities Playground for Her Son
After watching her son struggle to enjoy the playground, Teresa De Young made it her mission to create a place where every child could play
Key Takeaways
- Heartbroken seeing her son left out, a mom fought to build an inclusive playground.
- The New Richmond community raised over $500,000 to fund the all-abilities park.
- "Will’s Playground" features soft rubber surfacing, sensory toys, and adaptive swings.
Watching her son, Will, sit quietly on the swing while other kids ran and climbed, Teresa De Young felt a familiar ache. More than anything she wished for a playground where Will and other special needs kids could enjoy themselves — and she was determined to make that wish come true. Here, she shares her story with Woman’s World.
“Every playground should be a Will’s Playground,” says Will De Young, whose mom, Teresa, built an all-abilities community park.
A mother’s heartache sparks a vision for accessibility
Teresa De Young sat on a bench in a New Richmond, Wisconsin, playground watching Gracie, 2, and Will, 6. Her daughter raced from the slide to the monkey bars, laughing with the other children. Will sat on the swing, silently watching.
Teresa’s son has Down syndrome, which makes the rocky, uneven ground difficult to play on. If only there were a more accessible playground, she yearned, and she soon got to voice her wish.
The start of a dream
When Teresa enrolled in a leadership training program to help advance her accounting career, a group assignment was to design a new program to benefit the community.
“It breaks a mother’s heart,” she told her group, describing Will’s disabilities and explaining how he and other kids with special needs couldn’t fully participate. “They should be able to have as much fun as the other kids,” she said.
Soon, the group was visiting accessible playgrounds in nearby cities, special facilities with ramps, swings and other equipment designed for kids with disabilities. They drafted a full proposal and a budget for nearly half a million dollars.
I’ve come this far, Teresa thought. Feeling inspired, she took the plans to the city parks authority.
“We don’t have the funding,” they told her, “but if you can raise the money, we’ll provide the space.”
Rallying the New Richmond community for accessible play
That night, Teresa sat down and wrote a heartfelt letter introducing Will and sharing her heartache. I’m sure there are so many others like us, she penned, signed the letter and delivered copies to scores of local businesses.
Before she knew it, contributions began pouring in — including a large grant from a local bank. With the help of some of her leadership classmates, she arranged raffles, 5K races and other fundraisers.
Meanwhile, Teresa researched accessible play equipment and met with parents of children with special needs to learn their children’s requirements.
“Accessible bathrooms close by!” more than one mom agreed.
“Fencing with a gate,” another mom chimed in, explaining, “I can’t take my child to the park unless I want to spend the whole time chasing him.”
It took five years, but finally a $125,000 Kubota Hometown Proud Grant put Teresa over the top.
“We can fence in this entire area, and the bathrooms are right over there,” a parks official told Teresa, showing her the future site of “Will’s Playground.”
The ground was leveled and covered in soft rubber matting that cushioned falls and made walking easier. Ramps were added to the slides and other new equipment, including an adaptive tire swing, a sound board for deaf children and a collection of sensory toys.
A place of fun for everyone
Today, Teresa smiles as she watches from the shaded benches while Gracie leads Will around the playground.
“Every time we go, there are always other parents with children with special needs and siblings playing together, and it makes me so happy,” Teresa says.
“This is a wonderful thing you’ve done,” parents tell Teresa, but her biggest fan of all is Will.
“She built this for me,” he says with a smile. “I think every playground should be a Will’s Playground!”
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