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BLOG: County parks offer niche for children with disabilities

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Girl in wheelchair playing on a playground
All families can enjoy exercise together. These Palm Beach County parks and facilities are great options for families with children who have a disability.

JOHN PRINCE PARK

The Club Managers Association of America Therapeutic Recreation Complex, at 2728 Lake Worth Road in Lake Worth Beach, is designed for people with physical and cognitive disabilities. It incorporates a state-of-the-art design with sophisticated adapted equipment that allows people of all ages and abilities to compete in sports, participate in fitness programs and experience a wide array of visual and performing arts programs. Families can play a variety of sports, including wheelchair basketball, boccia, goalball, wheelchair rugby and more.

The Gleneagles Country Club Aquatic Center is open from April through September. Pool lifts help people with physical disabilities enter the water.

Families also will find a nearly half-mile wheelchair course with a series of seven exercise stations. Each stop displays instructions on how to do the exercises.

Call 561-966-7015 for more information.

BARRIER-FREE AND ACCESSIBLE EQUIPMENT

Three barrier-free playgrounds, at John Prince Park (2700 Sixth Ave. S., Lake Worth Beach), Lake Ida West Park (1455 Lake Ida Road, Delray Beach) and Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park (11200 Park Access Road, west of Boca Raton) provide children with and without disabilities a colorful, sensory-rich accessible experience to run, jump, roll and slide. Call 561-966-6600 for more information.

Accessible playground equipment is available at Lake Worth West Park (4150 Vermont Ave., 561-649-9600) in the central part of the county. County playgrounds are inspected and maintained to ensure the safest and most enjoyable experience for families.

FITNESS ZONE AND STATIONS

Select county parks offer Fitness Zone exercise areas, fitness stations and exercise courses for all abilities. At John Prince Park, a Fitness Zone allows families to use 17 pieces of resistance equipment that use your body weight for strength training.

Fitness stations with accessible equipment also are available at Westgate Park and Recreation Center (3691 Oswego Ave., West Palm Beach, 561-694-5455) and Lake Worth West Park (4150 Vermont Ave., 561-649-9600).

Families also can spend time stretching, bending and balancing at exercise courses in various parks throughout Palm Beach County.

Visit the park system's website for more information on enjoying our parks with children who have disabilities.


Bibi Baksh is a public relations specialist for Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department.

 

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