Photo: Roman Baluk
In Lviv, within the premises of the "Dzherelo" Center for Social Services located at Chervona Kalyna Avenue, 86A, a unique playground has emerged – an accessible, engaging, and educational space for children with disabilities. This space was created at the expense of the American couple Eddie and Tetiana, who have become friends of the "Dzherelo" center. This was reported by the press service of Lviv City Council.
This park covers over 1,100 square meters of entertainment space for children with disabilities. It includes accessible swings and rockers for children in wheelchairs, a large slide and activities for children with autism spectrum disorders, a mini soccer field, and many sensory and emotional experiences.
"It's not just carousels – all children with disabilities think they're flying when they ride on swings. This distracts them from reality and immerses them in a world where they are joyful, warm, and safe. This is a place of safety, joy, and discovery that my wife Tanya and I have designed for children with these diagnoses and types of disabilities. We have laid a strong foundation for our work in Ukraine in Lviv. This playground cost us around $60,000. We have a personal family foundation, and 99% of what we do comes from our own funds. There are no such parks in Ukraine, and we hope that after being the first in this, people in Ukraine will start creating special playgrounds for children and for the elderly," explained Eddie Wayne, who, along with his wife Tetiana, built this park.
The wife of the Mayor of Lviv and a member of the Supervisory Board of "Dzherelo", Kateryna-Kit Sadova, thanked Eddie and Tetiana on behalf of the entire community for this gift to Ukrainian children.
"I want to thank you very much for joining us in these challenging times, for seeing the beauty of our children and the beauty of Ukraine. Because this playground is about the joy of life for our wonderful children. Thank you for your big heart, as through it, the Lord speaks to us," noted Kateryna-Kit Sadova.
The park of entertainment and discoveries is divided into two zones – one for children with musculoskeletal disorders and another for children with autism spectrum disorders. Everything is carefully designed for safety and accessibility for every child.
In the first zone, children with physical limitations can safely ride on swings. They are secured in high chairs with special safety straps. Nearby, they can ride on a circular carousel. It is important to have the children facing the park, not the center of the carousel, so they can see all the colors of life and the beauty around them, emphasized Eddie.
In addition to carousels, there are sensory locations for visual contact, aiming to stimulate specific associations in children. There are also sound panels where one can hear sounds of different instruments. Colorful toys are available to play with.
"For our children, this is a safe, accessible, engaging, and educational space where they can have fun and experience many positive emotions. This playground was created at their own expense by the American couple Eddie and Tetiana, who are the founders of the organization 'The Bridge of Life'. They came to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, and last summer, they proposed creating such a playground for children in Ukraine. For almost 4 months, they observed our children, researched which activities would be most accessible, prioritized, and interesting. Therefore, this is their completely original project that allows children with various disorders to enjoy entertainment," noted Zoreslava Lyulchak, the head of the "Dzherelo" Center for Social Services.
Eddie and Tetiana held numerous meetings with the staff, parents, and children of "Dzherelo". They listened to their wishes, consulted experts from different countries, and considered various aspects, such as the safe distance from the carousel to the bars, the load on the swings, and the covering. Now, they are ready to serve as experts and provide advice on building a safe and accessible children's playground.
