New Playground promotes fitness for children who are disabled
November 20, 2017
Are You Healthier than a Fourth Grader?
Guests to the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind found out as they exercised along with the students at the Nov. 14 dedication of a new playground. The new playground is designed to promote fitness, and fourth graders invited the guests to join them in an exercise workout.
The $263,108 playground was funded by Fluor Golf for Greenville, J M Smith Corporation Foundation, Women Giving for Spartanburg, and Downtown Sertoma Club of Spartanburg. It is the third playground to be replaced over the last year representing a total healthy living investment of $684,498. The school’s foundation led the statewide fundraising effort.
The new playground, known as SCSDB’s Kids Zone, includes an obstacle course complete with multiple climbing walls. It will be used for recess and physical education classes. It includes equipment for children who are deaf, blind, or sensory multidisabled. Wheelchair swings, bench swings, slides, music stations, gadget panels, a color wheel, and a merry-go-round are just a few of the playground’s many features. There is also a separate section for preschoolers and very young children.
At the dedication, School for the Deaf students said thank you to the donors with an ABC story in sign language. “Thanks to our donors, our students have a safe, accessible, and fun outdoor space to enjoy,” said Ann Akerman, CEO of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation.
“We’re excited to be able to provide accessible fitness opportunities,” said Dr. Page McCraw, president of the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind. “Research has shown that regular exercise helps students stay on task and increases academic performance. Play time also helps students develop important social skills.”
About the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation
Founded in 1979, the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to securing resources that enable the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind to achieve its mission and goals. For more information, please visit www.scsdbfoundation.org or call 864-577-7583.
About the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
The SC School for the Deaf and the Blind is the state’s specialized school for students who are deaf or blind. It offers pre K-12 educational programs on its main campus in Spartanburg and specialized vision and hearing services in school districts and homes throughout the state. For more information about the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind, go to www.scsdb.org or call the school’s toll-free number at 1-888-447-2732
