Briana Pace | Southern Indiana Business Report
A new $800,000, inclusive playground is being developed in Mitchell and will offer the chance for kids to getoutside and have fun, safely.
“Inclusive doesn’t necessarily mean just wheelchair accessible, but giving all kids of all disabilities and thosewho don’t even have those disabilities an opportunity to exercise, get fresh air and to experience play,” Chair ofthe Mitchell Parks and Recreation Board Sally Miller said. “And that is the goal, for everyone to play.”
The project will replace Mitchell’s old playground, built nearly 20 years ago. Due to its wooden structure andage, the maintenance it requires isn’t feasible for a small town to keep up with. To keep it safe, parts of theplayground have been removed, making it unable to offer the same features it used to and serve the communitythe way they need. In 2024, the Mitchell Parks and Recreation Board began planning to replace it.
“It served our community well and we were very grateful for all the people and the donors and the time givento that,” Miller said, “but, after so many years, it just has to be replaced.”
Though it is considered safe, many families in the community still don’t trust the old playground for their kids.The ground is uneven; nails are sticking out and it’s not inclusive. Kids with disabilities cannot play there safely.
“I know firsthand, there’s a little girl that my daughter likes to play with, who is blind, and the playground wehave now is not really a safe place for her to just go and kind of be her own person,” special education teacherat Burris Elementary in Mitchell and guardian of a 10-year-old girl with autism, Shelby Cole, said. “Like wehave to walk alongside her, because there’s like little divots and the ground is not soft, if she were to fall.There’s nails sticking out, so if she runs her hands across the side, then you run the risk of her getting hit by the nail.”
The new playground will be on top of a rubber surface and include swings, surface-mounted equipment,sensory elements and, the wow factor, a Volo Aire structure. It’s a 3-story tower that up to 100 children canplay on at a time, any child with use of their upper body. There is an access point at the bottom for kids toclimb to the top without the use of their legs, then they take the slide down to the ground and, because of thePour-In-Place rubber surface, they can easily access their wheelchair again. There are slides, among other features, on each level of the tower.
“At any rate, it offers heart-racing views as the kids climb,” Miller said.
The structure is designed with parents in mind as well. There is clear visibility from the ground to the top of thetower, allowing them to keep an eye on the kids. It’s also designed for adults to easily climb up, in case theyneed to help a child.
“That was an important piece because a lot of times those parents, we don’t like to send our kids up into some towering feature that we can’t see them,” Miller said.
The new playground is more than just a place for kids to play. It’s a place where all kids belong. Teaching andtaking care of special education students daily, Cole constantly sees the sadness, disappointment andfrustration that kids with disabilities go through when they can’t do the same activities as general educationchildren. They don’t understand.
Cole has to avoid driving by the old playground to keep her daughter, Frankie, from getting upset because she can’t play there.
“I know she’s going to want to do it,” Cole said, “and then it kind of breaks my heart when she’s sad that shecan’t do it.”
With the inclusive playground, they won’t have that problem. Frankie will be able to
exercise and play with kids of all abilities.
“I’ve seen up-close the barriers families face, but I also see how much children can thrive when they’re giventhe opportunity to participate alongside everyone else,” Cole said. “It also helps teach the other kids in thecommunity about inclusion and kind of helps them learn to play with everyone.”
Funding for the playground is still being raised. In 2025, the Lawrence County Community Foundation madetheir large donation for the year to the playground project to kickstart the funding campaign. Once theplayground committee raises $50,000, the project will qualify for a matching $50,000 grant, moving them onestep closer to starting construction.
The playground committee has a few upcoming fundraisers they’re hosting to try and reach that goal. The BlueJacket Blockfest on July 25 will include a color run, inflatables, live music, free swimming, food, drinks andmore. They will also hold a gala in the fall. The committee plans to continue hosting both events every year tokeep raising money, even after the playground is built. That money will go toward maintaining parts of theplayground not under warranty.
The current goal is to have enough money raised by the middle to end of 2027 to fund the project, then break ground in 2028.
“Every child deserves to be a part of laughter, friendships, and memories that happen on a playground,” Colesaid, “and this playground gives them the opportunity for that.”