Many everyday activities, such as jogging, walking your dog, or swinging at the park, are often taken for granted. However, the officials with the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls are working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy these experiences.
What started as a vision to bring the community together has quickly evolved into a place where families of all kinds can come together and share fun experiences not found anywhere else in the area. What was once an empty field has quickly grown into a child’s playing paradise.
What started as a vision to bring the community together has quickly evolved into a place where families of all kinds can come together and share fun experiences not found anywhere else in the area. What was once an empty field has quickly grown into a child’s playing paradise.
Over the past couple of years, the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls has been hard at work adding to this playground, and now they have a huge new addition coming to the park: a wheelchair-friendly swing called the Liberty Swing.
“It’s for a wheelchair. You can roll a wheelchair in it. Leave your child or loved one in the wheelchair, you roll them in,” Rotarian John Deason explained, standing next to the large swing designed for wheelchair users. “It’s got several safety features and is ADA-approved. You lock them in, then that gives them the sensation of that movement, swinging to and fro.”
The Liberty Swing is unique in its design for many reasons. Though designed for wheelchair users, it can also accommodate people who do not use wheelchairs. The Swing features wheel lock chains and a seatbelt, ensuring that anyone using it will remain seated during their swing.
Additionally, the Swing features an adjustable ramp that lowers into the ground when not in use, allowing users to get maximum air when swinging.
“It’s the only one of this kind that we know of in the in the area. There are others, but it’s not as robust and as safe as what we feel that this one actually is,” Deason said.
According to Deason, the total cost of the park and all of the additions is nearly $175,000, and he believes that speaks volumes about our community and its people.
“Through the flag program, donations and Rotary International — there are some matching grants for a lot, Deason said. “[Rotary Club member] Benay is good and pulled on lots of purse strings and hearts to get this all put together,” Deason said. Benay Ayers is the Rotary Foundation Chair for the Wichita Falls Rotary Club.
Deason said they have a few things they need to wrap up before the swing is operational but says the public can expect to try it out for themselves around the beginning of next year.
The Liberty Swing is unique in its design for many reasons. Though designed for wheelchair users, it can also accommodate people who do not use wheelchairs. The Swing features wheel lock chains and a seatbelt, ensuring that anyone using it will remain seated during their swing.
Additionally, the Swing features an adjustable ramp that lowers into the ground when not in use, allowing users to get maximum air when swinging.
“It’s the only one of this kind that we know of in the in the area. There are others, but it’s not as robust and as safe as what we feel that this one actually is,” Deason said.
According to Deason, the total cost of the park and all of the additions is nearly $175,000, and he believes that speaks volumes about our community and its people.
“Through the flag program, donations and Rotary International — there are some matching grants for a lot, Deason said. “[Rotary Club member] Benay is good and pulled on lots of purse strings and hearts to get this all put together,” Deason said. Benay Ayers is the Rotary Foundation Chair for the Wichita Falls Rotary Club.
Deason said they have a few things they need to wrap up before the swing is operational but says the public can expect to try it out for themselves around the beginning of next year.
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