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| Santa Monica Disabilities Awareness Month Poster Contest Winners Named | |||||
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By Lookout Staff December 15, 2011 -- The Santa Monica Disabilities Commission this month announced the winners of the "Let's Play! Disabilities Awareness Month Youth Poster Contest" that will help publicize the city's first universally accessible playground.
The ten Grand Prize winners will be displayed as banners at the new 20,000-square-foot playground by the beach at Ashland Avenue during construction, which is scheduled to begin in late summer 2012. In addition, some of the students' design ideas of what a universally accessible playground -- where children of all abilities can play side by side -- may look like could be incorporated into the final design, commissioners said. "As you grow up and have families of your own and perhaps become an architect, a city planner, or whatever it is you intend to do," Disabilities Commissioner Amy Boersma told the ctudents, "I hope you all continue to support the concept of having universally accessible parks as part of your community." Students were presented with the awards during a meeting December 5 attended by more than 70 friends, family members, teachers, principals and community members. "I just wanted the disability people and the regular people to be equal and have fun and play," said Miraclestar Doby, a 5th grader from McKinley Elementary who was a Grand Prize Winner.
For years, both the Disabilities and the Recreation & Parks Commissions have pushed to develop universally accessible playgrounds in Santa Monica. "While the City’s playgrounds are ADA accessible, universally accessible playgrounds go beyond ADA requirements to maximize the inclusion of children with various types of disabilities in the use of play equipment," City officials said. "Play features will incorporate unique design elements that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally," City officials said. The proposed playground site, which is immediately south of the southernmost beach parking lot of the City, is presently occupied by a sand play area, picnic tables, a turf area and palm trees. Among the universally accessible playgrounds completed in the LA area in the last eight years are Aidan’s Place in West Los Angeles, Shane’s Inspiration at the Griffith Park in Los Angeles, and Glen Alla in Marina del Rey. Following is a list of winners: Grand Prize Winners:
First Runners Up: |
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