El Paso just keeps impressing me day by day with all the “firsts” happening across our city.

Just a few days ago El Paso County welcomed the first Pickleball courts at Ascarate Park, but before that El Paso county held a ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome the city's first all-abilities playground.

The new playground is located at Gallegos Park in Canutillo. It first broke ground in early Spring of 2022 and was completed in less than a year using the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Local Parks Urban Outdoor Recreation Grant, which was awarded to the County Parks and Recreation Department in early 2019.

“What started as an effort by two El Paso moms to bring more shade to  public parks has become an organic movement that has sparked more area  parents to become involved in their community,” read a statement on Moms on Boards website.

Courtesy: El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego
Courtesy: El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego
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Moms on Board (MOD) is the organization behind the city's first all-abilities playground.

Moms On Board was founded in 2017 when co-founder Adrianne Riley Moody and co-founder Leyla Zeidan  Safa went before  City Council to propose more shade for children at city spray parks. 

Since then, Moms On Board has grown from 300 Facebook followers  to more than 5,400 moms and parents looking for ways to participate in helping to make the community better and safer for their children and families including an ordinance for all new playgrounds to have more  share.

The idea for an all abilities playground began when one mother in the organization saw a video online that inspired her and sparked a conversation online.

“A mother in our organization, Atheal Flores, has two boys on the  autism spectrum,” Moody said. “She saw a video on Facebook about a kid in a wheelchair who couldn’t play with other kids. Kids with autism have  the same challenges; they may be sensitive to noise, distractions or  new environments. The video inspired Atheal and it started a lot of  discussion on our Facebook page about bringing kids of all abilities  together. All signs led to us trying to create an All-Inclusive Park.”

Courtesy: Iris Lopez
Courtesy: Iris Lopez
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An All-Abilities Playground is a space that provides inclusive play opportunities for children of all ages and abilities. They are designed to promote the healthy development of all children’s physical, social, cognitive, and sensory abilities.

The playground is the first of three all-abilities playgrounds to be completed in El Paso County.

The other two are set to be completed in 2023 at Ascarate Park, 6900 Delta Drive in El Paso, and Risinger Park, 301 Grace St. in Fabens.

Courtesy: El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego

 

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