NORFOLK
When Myra Perdue first brought her daughter Amelia to live at St. Mary's Home for Disabled Children, she wasn't too impressed by the center's playground.
There was a ball pit, but it was too low for children using wheelchairs to reach. The sandbox had the same problem. There was a tetherball pole, but no one was quite sure what severely disabled children could do with that.
"I looked at all of that and thought, 'This just doesn't even make sense,' " Perdue said.
So she embarked on a project to create a new playground outfitted with specialized equipment. She started raising money through a raffle. Other groups soon joined in, raising $65,000 to refurbish the entire grounds of the home, adding gardens, walkways and courtyards.
The grounds were opened up to the public for the afternoon on Sunday.
The children who live at St. Mary's are, for the most part, profoundly disabled, CEO Bill Giermak said. The new playground features equipment designed for them, such as a set of chimes that residents can sound by touching them - set at wheelchair height - and the "Sway Fun," which is similar to a swing but gently sways back and forth and is large enough to accommodate wheelchairs.
When Amelia, 15, first went on the Sway Fun, "her face, it was like worth a thousand words," Perdue said. "It was such a hit."
Other parts of the grounds include a butterfly garden and a sensory garden, with strong-smelling flowers and a fountain.
Playtime is an important part of therapy for children with disabilities, providing stimulation and teaching ideas such as cause and effect, said Nicole Jones, director of recreation therapy for the center.
"All kids go to the playground," Jones said.
"It's just helping them have a regular lifestyle like any normal kid. With our kids, the playground just has to be a little bit special."
Alicia Wittmeyer, (757) 222-5216, alicia.wittmeyer@pilotonline.com
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