McMillan Elementary will get a new wheelchair-friendly playground thanks to a grant from a Rick Hansen Foundation program.
The Abbotsford school district has received $30,000 in funding from the foundation's Access4All Program, a Canada 150 initiative aimed at breaking down barriers for people living with disabilities.
The money will go, in part, toward the installation of a playground at McMillan Elementary that includes a glider that allows interactive play. The glider features ample room for two wheelchair passengers, as well as twin bench seating to accommodate peers, friends or family.
"It is not enough to be limited to accessing a play space; children of all abilities need to have the same opportunities to actively participate in play as part of their healthy development," said project co-ordinator Desiree Gould in a press release. "A playground is meant to be a social setting, not one where someone is left on the sidelines watching."
Construction on the project, dubbed Barrier Buster, will take place over the summer.