Who will this playground serve?

I am often asked how many people will a playground of this type serve.
In addition to all of the able bodied children and adults in our community the information I was able to locate from the US Census Bureau suggests there are many people of varying disabilities in our community who may be under-served in terms of available outdoor recreational activities.  Opportunities as they exist now are limited to a few accessible swings.

Population 5 to 20 Years	2,852	100%
With a disability	225	7.9%
Population 21 to 64 years	6,701	100%
With a Disability	1,076	16.1%
Population 65 years and over	1,510	100%
With a disability	540	35.8%

These statistics are from the 2000 census and have likely changed somewhat. As updated information is found it will be added. Complete information can be found here .



With 12,000+ people in the Stoughton Community this is, in our opinion, a significant amount of people who would utilize the accessible equipment.

If the project was simply for them it would be a lot. We are unsure if this number accurately reflects all of the people with disabilities that we intend to provide recreational equipment for. For example does this number reflect all of the children with autism spectrum disorders and other sensory issues?
We intend to continue to try and find a more definitive number but as it stands we still believe this is a significant portion of the population and it does not include the surrounding communities who will undoubtedly travel to Stoughton to utilize the park.

It cannot be said enough that this playground is intended to be inclusive. It will not simply allow children and adults to recreate but to recreate side by side with other members of their community.
It will also allow adults to recreate side by side with their children something we think is truly unique.

So, how many people will this playground serve?

Our vision is that it will serve nearly everyone.