Windsong Heights School has set out on a mission to build a fully accessible playground.

It's something most people have never heard of, a fully accessible playground is created to be accessible by people of all ages and level of cognitive and physical function. Alexandra Owens, Grant writer for the Windsong Heights Parent Council says to create something like this that is accessible to people of all ages has never been done before in Airdrie and hopes its functionality will serve the city well.

Anybody with any type of extra supports needs would be able to access the playground, anyone with mobility issues, hearing impaired, visually impaired or people without any support needs would be able to access the playground.

The playground is not only for children but the youth of Airdrie as well. 

"Playgrounds seem to end when your twelve, no one seems to build structures for older teens.The parent committee and advocation teams came to us and said look we want our older teens to be busy but we don't have anything for them. Part of having a fully accessible playground means having activities for our older teens to play with as well. "

There is nothing like this playground in Airdrie as it sits, however, there is one in Calgary. The big challenge is getting the playground approved by the American Disabilities Act and coming up with the funding. The cost of the playground will range somewhere between 500 thousand dollars to 600 thousand dollars. 

The committee has applied for multiple grants including the Jump Start Accessibility Grant, in doing so they have received letters of support from key people in the community.

"Mayor Peter Brown and Angela Pitt were super excited to get on board and write letters of support because this really is a groundbreaking thing for Rocky View Schools."

The Parent Council and School hope that the funding will be approved and the construction could start so it is ready for the new school year. 

"We are hoping to have it by next September, that's why we have written all these grants and asked multiple businesses to support us because that's the only way we are going to make a project of this magnitude and expense happen"

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