Sunday, July 12, 1998

Handicapped equipment is damaged

By ROCHELLE HUDSON

Guest Columnist

I recently asked a friend who used to work for the city what happened to the new handicapped-accessible equipment put into Redbud park. He told me the children without a disability had been playing on it and had repeatedly broken it; so they eventually had to take this special equipment out.

I find it ridiculous we cannot even keep a close enough eye on our children that they don't destroy public property paid for by our tax dollars. I am upset that when my family visits this park in the future, there will be no raised sandboxes for my daughter to play in.

There is currently a wheelchair accessible swing at the park, and it is constantly being played on by children without a disability. The parents should know this is not a good idea. The swing is made of very heavy metal and is designed for wheelchair use only. Eventually this piece of equipment will need to be removed also because of the neglect of the parents. This will leave very little for my daughter to do at the park.

This equipment is a convenience for most, but it is a necessity for children like mine and others. I can't tell you how many times I have gone to Redbud Park and found children without a disability playing on the swing with a sign hanging above it saying "Wheelchairs only." The parents are a few feet away and don't care that they could be hurt, not to mention occupying a piece of equipment that I cannot use at the time.

I am upset that the sandboxes that were raised up from the ground so wheelchair children could reach them were also removed. The reason was that some children were getting up on them and jumping on them, and then eventually it broke the bubble glass that held the sand. Then a child was almost hurt doing the same thing with a parent standing a few feet away, and the parent got upset at the city even though it was her responsibility to keep an eye on her own child.

I think too many parents are using the park as a baby-sitter and not keeping a close eye on their children. I am just outraged that this town is such a family-oriented town and the parents of Abilene can't even be trusted to watch their own children in the park so the expensive and necessary park equipment won't be destroyed.

My family would appreciate people showing a little more respect for what our tax dollars pay for.

Rochelle Hudson is a resident of Abilene.