CABOT, Ark. — Cabot Public Schools is leading their district with the mindset that everyone is included, a value shown through their all-inclusive playgrounds.
Any child, whether they get by on their feet or have wheels to help them out, can feel like a regular kid here despite their disabilities.
Joyful shouts, games of tag, games with friends— the playground is an outlet of joy for most students. But 2nd grader Elijah Murphey usually must watch from the sidelines.
“Our other equipment is really steep and daunting for them,” said Deedee Woodiel, Cabot physical therapist. “Even though I had hands on them helping them, they were still feeling very insecure.”
Elijah, one of Woodiel’s students, uses a wheelchair. This means he can't spend time during recess using an able-bodied swing or slide like his other peers— but 11 schools in Cabot have all-inclusive playgrounds that give kids like Elijah special access.
“If you look around our other playgrounds, not all the terrain is easily accessible with wheelchairs or walkers, but this playground has a ramp and turf where wheelchairs and walkers can easily roll across,” Director of Special Programs Haley Beavert said.
One of the kids’ favorites is a teeter-totter, which has an entry large enough for wheelchairs to enter and sit comfortably.
Woodiel said this equipment targets all their diversely able children while also helping them.
“We wanted strengthening activities, balance activities, and vestibular and proprioceptive stem,” Woodiel said. “We have a little pod that's a merry-go-round, so our vestibular seekers can spend five minutes in there and get as dizzy as they want to.”
As a teacher working alongside children with disabilities, she sees the inequities but said that immersion is changing the students in more ways than one.
“A lot of people are uneasy around people that are different, but those kiddos have personalities that most people don't pay attention to,” Woodiel added. “They have so much to offer, and this has been a huge boost to their confidence level and their willingness to try harder things.”
Beavert echoed this sentiment, adding that this project allowed them to show something tangible— that acceptance is the first step to inclusivity.
“We are really embracing inclusive practices, not only in the classrooms but also on the playground,” Beavert said. “We are looking for opportunities for all of our students to have access to all things.”
This project, an extension from the district’s ’ Project Panther’, began going up in schools in November of 2023, with the last playground structure finishing in July.
Cabot Public Schools estimate the cost of these all-inclusive playgrounds to be at or around $1.7 million. That investment in Cabot’s special needs population uncovered some magic in Woodiel.
“It's easy to include by kind of setting aside, but we're including by immersing,” Woodiel described. “I think for the first two weeks, I had chill bumps every day and I felt renewed that my district was gearing a large project toward our special needs population.”
Both Woodiel and Beavert said the true magic remains though is the kids and their joy.
The all-inclusive playgrounds are open on the weekends and after school hours to the public and available to anyone.