My walking has been slowed down a little for the last few weeks. My husband had a health problem and couldn't get around much for a while but the good news is he is now doing well and part of his recovery is going for lots of little walks!
We have been walking to the library which is only about three blocks away and it makes a nice little trip with a distraction in the middle. The bonus is new books to look at when we get home.
On the way home we are walking through the playground of a school two of our children attended. There is an interesting play structure. One of my daughter's grade one classmates was severely injured in a pedestrian car accident right in front of the school and the impact on the whole school was vast. After the little friend was back at school there was a huge drive to replace the structure with something more accessible. There was an awful lot of heated discussion about the wisdom of taking down a relatively new structure and how necessary a new structure was but the decision was made that accessibility was a right in the playground as well as the classroom. Next came the endless parent fundraisers and wrapping paper selling because it seems the school board left the arrangements and paying to the school and the school's parent teacher association.
I walked up the ramp of this current accessible structure with my walker yesterday and this play equipment is a very good thing. A child might not be able to play with all the features of this structure but at least they could be in the middle of the action instead of forced to watch from the sidelines. When we were in the middle of negotiating accessible school yards I approved of the project but didn't work too hard at making it happen. How my understanding has changed with time and changes to my own life and mobility!
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