Two recent Modesto Bee articles titled, “Meeting in Modesto will help make Beyer Park playground an Awesome Spot” and “Dozens turn out to share ideas on Awesome Spot playground in Modesto”, update Modesto-area resident Rachel Loredo’s effort to see a local inclusive playground come to life.

Loredo’s dream of replacing the outdated Beyer Community Park with a state-of-the-art, socially inclusive playground, dubbed “The Awesome Spot” by supporters, is one step closer to reality. On Wednesday evening, O’Dell Engineering presented at a public meeting seeking design input from community members for the park. Over 50 adults and children attended. As adults discussed key features of the playground, children offered their creative input by way of crayon drawings and Lego creations. These design elements may be incorporated into the future playground design. After the conceptual design is completed, fundraising for the park will begin. A construction completion goal of fall 2017 has been set.

O’Dell Engineering is an avid supporter and promoter of inclusive play environments and has happily donated the firms land surveying and landscape architecture services for the project as a catalyst to jumpstart the venture. The emphasis of socially inclusive playgrounds (a term coined by O’Dell Engineering) is not on helping children with disabilities to adjust to and accept the play environment, but rather designing the play environment to meet the needs and abilities of the child. Inclusive play environments are a fundamental statement about social values and children’s right to play.

We look forward to this project’s continued evolution!

To learn more about socially inclusive play design, click here.

To learn more about The Awesome Spot, visit their website or Facebook page.

To make a donation to The Awesome Spot, visit their GoFundMe page.