When four-year-old Eleanor Dolata goes out to recess at Oxford’s Early Childhood Developmental Delay (ECDD) program, she and her wheelchair used to be confined to the black top area behind Daniel Axford Elementary.
But thanks to ECDD parent Erica DiCosmo, Dolata and many other children with a physical handicap can now use the playground equipment just like everybody else.
Last September, DiCosmo received a $27,000 grant to purchase handicap-friendly playground equipment for the Head Start and ECDD playground.
A total of four new pieces were purchased from the Metamora-based Jennings of Michigan, as well as a poured rubber track and four tricycles.
The fenced-in playground sits on the southside of the school and used to be covered with dirt and weeds, which made it harder to maneuver a wheelchair or walker in.
Now, the rubber track leads to each piece of equipment, like a bridge or a large panel with a driving wheel, creating easier access. Each piece of equipment is designed to help children with their motor skills.
DiCosmo said Eleanor was her ‘inspiration? for writing the grant.
‘With this community growing the way it is, we’re going to face a lot of challenges in the early childhood (program),? she said. ‘Now they can play together with no boundaries in between them.?
Denise Fouracre, director of Oxford’s Head Start program, agreed that the new equipment was definitely a necessity.
‘In the earlier days, (the ECDD program) consisted more of children with speech and language needs,? Fouracre said. ‘Every year now we see more and more children coming into the district with physical needs.?
Fouracre was so ‘excited? about DiCosmo’s success with the grant that she decided to enter her name into the Michigan Head Start Association’s Helping Hand award.
It wasn’t a surprise when she actually won the award last month after all the hard work she put into the project, but Fouracre, and other district employees, were very proud of her.
‘This was the ultimate … to have a parent go this far and take the initiative for something like this,? Fouracre said.