BRYAN, Ohio — A new all-inclusive playground is coming to the City of Bryan.
On Friday, Sept. 29, the Bryan community will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the raising of $730,000 to build the playground and fully accessible bathroom.
The Lincoln Park Inclusive Playground will be built on the site of the former Lincoln Elementary School.
Using the Seven Principles of Universal Design, the playground will include ramp entry points, a poured-in-place surface, braille and picture communication boards, a flush-to-ground merry-go-round, zipline, expression swings and more.
The playground came to be through a project fund set up by Bryan Parks and Recreation Board Member and former Bryan City Schools employee Paula Kline, partnering with the Bryan Area Foundation to fundraise enough money to build the playground.
In a press release from the Bryan Area Foundation, it said Kline used to work with children of many different abilities and would have to take them to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the closest inclusive playground, to be able to enjoy outdoor recess.
"During those hour-long drives, I would wonder why my hometown didn't have its own inclusive playground," said Kline. "At my high school reunion, I encouraged my class to establish a project fund at the Bryan Area Foundation to have an avenue to collect and save donations when the City of Bryan Parks and Recreation Department was ready to move forward with the project. In 2022, they told me it was time to start planning and building it."
The playground is set to open in the Spring of 2024 and, "create a destination where children and families of all physical, mental and social abilities can learn, play and grow together."
The Bryan Area Foundation also said that additional funds are still being collected and will be sued for future upgrades at the playground.
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