Inclusive Playground Information

 Clermont is well known for its rolling hills, pristine lakes, and beautiful parks. While residents
enjoy numerous amenities, one thing the community lacks is an inclusive playground that would allow children with special needs to enjoy playing alongside other children in a fun and social environment.

The Kiwanis Club of South Lake (KCOSL) is one of the area’s most active community service organizations, and we are dedicated to improving the lives of children. We want all children in South Lake County to have fun places to play where they can spend quality time with family and friends, laugh, explore, and simply be kids.
For that reason, we are in the planning and fundraising stages for an inclusive playground in Clermont. Our vision is to create a playground where not only children, but people of all ages and abilities can come and enjoy a beautiful day together. In addition to serving children with disabilities, an inclusive playground provides fun for everyone! The equipment allows children using wheelchairs, children with visual impairments, children with intellectual or neurological disabilities etc. to play alongside their typically developing peers. This park would also be a welcome resource for parents with disabilities, or aging caregivers who want to interact with the children in their care. Did you know that nearly 40% of grandparents provide childcare for their grandchildren? How wonderful would it be for Clermont to have a playground where grandparents and grandchildren could play together!

In cooperation with the City of Clermont, KCOSL is raising funds to construct an inclusive playground. This playground will provide a sensory-rich environment that enables all users to develop physically, socially, and emotionally. At an inclusive playground, children (and adults!) of all abilities can interact with each other and do what all kids want to do: play.

We are the Champions!

Clermont is known as the “Choice of Champions”, not only because we are well known as a training ground for elite athletes, but because we believe all of our residents are champions:  from the student who won the spelling bee, to the little boy who just learned to ride a bike, to the girl who learned her piano piece by heart… there is a champion in all of us!  When I asked Kylie’s parents what
made her a champion, her father, Garrett, said she is a champion because of her “desire to do”. She doesn’t want to be left on the sidelines. With your support, the girl who uses a wheelchair and previously wasn’t able to play with her sister will feel like a champion when she feels the wind on her face and
the thrill of movement, spinning on an inclusive merry-go-round. The quiet, anxious boy who needs some time away from all the activity will feel like a champion when he can create his own composition on the playground’s musical equipment.

Let’s build a Legacy of Play for ALL!

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