Center For Individuals With Physical Challenges Plans To Build Accessible Playground

The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges wants to add a playground to its sports complex location near 11th and Utica. The designs are already complete and the spot is picked out. The only challenge now is raising enough money to build the playground.

Ariel Gilstrap and her seven year old daughter, Emma, loved looking at the drawings of the new park that would be accessible for everyone in the community.

“We always want to provide more opportunities for them to be part of the community and being apart of it means, as a kid, having a playground to play on and having one that’s accessible," said Wendi Fralick.

Fralick said there are not a lot of city playground options for families like the Gilstraps. She said playgrounds mostly have wood chips and sand, which make it tough for wheelchairs.

The new playground would be different and the only thing stopping construction is the need for $190,000 in addition to the $95,000 they've already raised.

“The only obstacle we have to making this come to fruition is money. It’s the only obstacle we have. So it’s trying to find that community support to make it a reality for the youth that we serve and you know, we serve a lot of youth here," said Fralick.

Gilstrap said having an accessible playground in Tulsa means a lot to her family.

“I have two younger daughters as well and an accessible playground they can just all go play together and make friends and it’s just kind of fun to see as a parent to just let her be a kid and not have to think about barriers," said Gilstrap.