ANDOVER — Ballardvale Playground is taking a step toward becoming more accessible and inclusive for all children with an improvement project underway to update the site.
The town received support from the state and a local nonprofit organization, amounting to more than $200,000 in grants and donations for its effort. Those funds come from a $199,435 grant from the Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) for the improvements at the Ballardvale Playground as well as a $25,000 donation from the Rare Road Foundation.
Construction on Ballardvale Playground, at 164 Andover St., began on Monday to install two play elements and a new rubber surface. While the playground will be closed during construction, the baseball fields will remain open. The basketball courts will be temporarily closed with equipment on site.
“We are really excited about the project as it continues our very intentional effort to make accessibility improvements in recreational areas, parks and playgrounds,” Town Manager Andrew Flanagan said. “I am grateful that the community has continued to support the integration of inclusive design standards as part of every applicable capital project.”
“We are going to continue to try and set the bar high when it comes to building a more accessible and inclusive community,” Flanagan added.
Rare Road Foundation co-founder Julee Armitage, of Andover, said the organization’s donation was a chance to not only give back to the community, but also improve the lives of children with rare genetic conditions and help their families realize they aren’t alone.
The Rare Road Foundation held its fourth annual Remy walk and block party on Sunday in Andover. The walk had around 200 participants. The event was used as a catalyst in the previous two years to raise funds for the accessibility project at Ballardvale Playground.
“There’s a lot of need out there for more places to be more accessible,” Armitage said.
The foundation was started by Armitage and Angelica Tourkistas, of Topsfield, after the two parents connected with a mission to help improve kids’ lives with rare genetic conditions.
Armitage’s youngest daughter, Remy, 5, was diagnosed with a HNRNPH2-related disorder. Mutations of the HNRNPH2 gene have been associated with developmental delay, reduced muscle tone, seizures, intellectual disabilities and other features affecting speech and vision problems. At the time of her diagnosis a few years ago, Remy was the first New England case.
It impacted Remy’s ability to use a playground and have fun outside.
The nonprofit set out to improve accessibility at playgrounds recognizing the importance of the spaces for children to thrive socially and physically, while also serving as a place to meet new people.
“We noticed the sentiment that playgrounds are places where new, young families go to connect, meet, share stories and get advice,” Armitage said.
The nonprofit organization reached out to Janet Nicosia, ADA coordinator and director of facilities for Andover, about how it could serve the community. The conversation led to the Rare Road Foundation sponsoring a MOD grant and promising to raise $25,000 toward improving the playground.
Armitage recalled visits to the playground with Remy and her daughter crying after her walker couldn’t make it on the wood-chip path to the swings.
The playground and its winding path which she used to enjoy with her older kids became a challenge with her youngest.
“She had a little walker and would follow the path,” Armitage said. “She wanted to go to the swings, but then she couldn’t get there. She would just stand there and cry.”
Armitage would have to carry Remy through the wood chips because her daughter couldn’t navigate on foot with her walker.
Improvements underway include replacing the wood chips and adding an adaptive spinner and standing chimes structure, allowing for children of all abilities to play together.
Armitage and Tourkistas landed on an adaptive spinner as one new addition for the playground after noticing there was no spinner there.
“All of these kids can sit on the spinner together and play, including siblings and friends,” she said.
Children will also be able to roll up to the standing wind chimes with their mobility devices. She added it’s another piece children of all abilities can enjoy at the same time and in the same space.
She said she sees it also as an opportunity to make children and their parents more comfortable approaching someone with a disability or rare disease while also building a community for parents to share resources and realize they aren’t alone. The project is expected to be completed in August, Flanagan said.