Woodchips are the bane of Bodhi Bhattarai’s existence. They get stuck in the wheels of his motorized wheelchair and prevent him from moving freely over surfaces.
Now at White Park, he doesn’t have to worry about them. Friday evening marked the opening of the brand-new accessible Monkey Around Playground, a moment 11-year-old Bhattarai had been eagerly awaiting.
“It feels exhilarating,” he said.
Two years ago, Bhattarai testified in front of both the state legislature and Concord’s city council about the necessity of creating a space for children of all abilities to play.
He said he loved seeing the result of those efforts on Friday. Bhattarai and his family were among over one hundred attendees at the playground’s opening ceremony — he even got to cut the ribbon, which “felt really cool.”
The bouncy poured-in-place rubber provides him much more ease of access than school playgrounds ever have. The blue and green space includes elevated walkways, wheelchair-accessible swings, a see-saw with a ramp onto it, several slides and more.
“I like that it doesn’t have woodchips and that the structures all have ramps,” he said. “And also I like that there’s some wheelchair equipment.”
Conversations about renovating the play area began around a decade ago. The previous playground, built in 1994, featured wooden structures that eventually began causing splinters and other issues.
The playground was “past its expiration date,” according to Mary Schuh, a member of the Friends of White Park.
“It was falling apart, and it could no longer be repaired. And there was no company that could come in and repair it,” she said. “So, we knew we needed to create a new one.”
The volunteer group spearheaded efforts to build a new playground, and the city council approved the project at the start of 2024.
“My heart is full of joy,” said Schuh, who was also part of the original playground endeavor in the 1990s. “It’s about ten years in the making, and every step of the way, we were committed to the values of universal design and accessibility. To see our community playing, it’s hard to have the words.”
A $400,000 Land and Water Conservation grant from the state covered almost half of the playground’s initial cost. The city contributed $350,000 to the construction, and the Friends of White Park raised over $111,000 — including an unexpected, last-minute donation of $60,000 — to cover the rest.
The old structure was demolished in mid-July, and the project was finished in time for children and families to enjoy it before the cold weather sets in.
For Kara and Scott Guyer, the playground gives their three-and-a-half-year-old son, Theo, a chance to have the same experience playing as his peers. Whether in a wheelchair or using a walker, he can now have fun freely at White Park.
“He gets to play with his school friends here at the same level,” Kara Guyer said. “There’s a playground at this school, but he just sits in his chair and can’t really participate. Even his friends were excited for him to be able to go on the little seesaw. He gets to be a kid.”
Theo couldn’t stop smiling on Friday evening as his parents and grandmother explored the playground with him.
“I hope that it opens people’s minds and helps people see Theo as a kid and a person, just like everyone else, a peer, instead of a little boy in a wheelchair,” Kara Guyer said. “Just because he’s different doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to play with his friends.”
Ben Lafond enjoyed watching his three daughters appreciate the space.
His youngest, Carly, who is nearly two, was born with dwarfism. The Monkey Around structures that are lower to the ground make it easy for her to play, and Lafond doesn’t have to worry about her getting hurt if she falls.
“It feels really great,” he said. “Everybody’s had a lot of anticipation, a lot of build-up, and it really seems to pay off.”
While the accessible playground provides another universal space in the community, the Guyer family said Concord still has areas for improvement in terms of accessibility, especially when it comes to parking.
“We have a transit van, so it’s huge and the ramp goes out the back, so you have to make sure you find a parallel parking spot where no one can park behind you, but sometimes people still do,” said Kara Guyer.
Monkey Around marks progress for Concord as a space for children of all abilities.
Schuh hopes the playground will be “a destination where everyone feels welcome,” she said. “It’s not just here for the community, but it’s a vehicle to build community.”