March 13, 2008
Berryessa Sun
By Wes Bowers
Last month, San Jose City Councilmember Kansen Chu and several members of the San Jose Rotary Club came together in Alviso to mark the beginning of equal playtime in city parks.
 On Feb. 29, Chu and Rotary Club President Julie Matsushima presented an adaptive swing at Alviso Park. The new play structure is one of 29 swings that will be installed throughout San Jose at various city parks.
The adaptive swing provides support for children who are not able to sit well by themselves. The swings are a donation from San Jose Rotary as part of its Equal Play project, which provides equal amounts of play opportunities for disabled children.
The Equal Play project was Matsushima's brainchild, as her 10-year-old granddaughter Aimee suffers from cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound.
"When she and her non-disabled twin sister are in San Jose there is nothing for Aimee when we go to the park," Matsushima said. "A few years ago I contacted and met with the parks department staff to make them aware of the deficient state of the local playgrounds in San Jose city parks... none of which had one piece of adaptive equipment."
Matsushima then decided Rotary could do something to serve disabled children in the community by partnering with the city to install special swings.
Four years later, Matsushima was asked to serve on the city's parks and recreation commission, and everything came together serving both the commission and the Rotary, she said.
"My mission was to see that disabled children could go to the park and do more than sit in their wheelchair and watch other children play," she said. "Awareness can be achieved when normal children observe that disabled children physical, sight, and hearing impaired can also enjoy playing side by side on playground equipment at the park."
Funding for the swings cost about $17,500, and was raised through the annual San Jose Rotary fundraiser.
City staff then purchased and installed them in playgrounds, including Alviso and Cataldi Park.
Matsushima said both disabled and other children can use the swings, and that in just one month, they have become somewhat popular.
"I hear from teachers and therapists that the swings are in use and are already being enjoyed by many children," she said. "The word is getting out."
Although all city parks renovated in the last decade meet the California State Title 24 accessibility requirements, playable elements for disabled children are limited.
San Jose Rotary Club member Karyn Sinunu-Towery also championed the Equal Play project, working closely with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, and has been very passionate about this issue.
She said the commission has made a commitment to ensure that all new parks in San Jose are made fully accessible for disabled children.
"I think this is a first step for the city in having all playgrounds accessible for children of all capabilities," she said.
According to Sinunu-Towery, the city is currently renovating the Berryessa Creek Playground to be the first park that will meet the minimum standard of accessibility for the disabled.
The city will install ramps, swings and other equipment to serve special needs children at the park.
"I'm very proud to have been part of the project, and know that it will make a difference for all children in San Jose," Sinunu-Towery said. "I hope that all playgrounds and play facilities will some day have equal play equipment."
Matsushima believes the city will further install one or more pieces of adaptive equipment in all playgrounds that are renovated or developed in the future.
She added another club member has been able to secure another $10,000, which will be used for approximately 10 to 15 more adaptive swings in the city.
Councilmember Chu said San Jose City Council was very receptive of the project.
"This is a great project that will help enrich the lives of disabled children in San Jose," Chu said. "I hope that this encourages children to come play in the Alviso park."
Chu said San Jose's long-term playground goal is to go beyond accessibility requirements with new playground construction and renovation sites by creating equal play opportunities to the maximum extent possible.
"This has been a project so close to my heart... for special needs children in our community," Matsushima said. "I'm on a mission to one day see an all-out ÔBoundless Playground' installed somewhere in the city...perhaps a joint project that can be accomplished by Rotary clubs, businesses and the city government."
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