This month, Corvallis finished renovating Avery Park - the location of its first fully inclusive playground.
The parks department incorporated suggestions from the community and local organizations that serve youth with disabilities when redesigning the park.
Corvallis Parks Director Meredith Petit said the play structures themselves are wheelchair accessible and many have sensory, or interactive components.
“There's a lot of variety,” Petit said. “We’re trying to create different zones of play for whatever the child needs.”
The playground now has synthetic grass turf with softer padding underneath. It’s designed to be firm enough for wheelchairs and soft enough to prevent children who fall from sustaining injuries.
Petit said the swings are also accessible, and many of the structures were designed with both toddlers and older children in mind, like the “cozy dome” structure, which is a playhouse and farmers market.
"We felt this was a really good opportunity to create a space where kids of all ages, and their caretakers and parents felt comfortable,” Petit said.
The park also now has new bathrooms and a new picnic structure.
The $1 million overhaul of one of the city’s most popular parks was paid for with a combination of funds, including American Rescue Plan dollars and a state grant.
Petit said the city plans to gather feedback on the playground and how the new features age over time, and may incorporate those elements into future renovations of other parks.
