Chances are that one of your favorite childhood memories is of playing on the playground The slides, the swings, the hours of entertainment! What if your child has a disability that keeps him or her from creating their own memories of playing on the playground?

Amy and Peter Barzach, of West Hartford, Connecticut, established Boundless Playgrounds, a unique, national, non-profit organization in 1997. Boundless Playgrounds works with communities throughout the country to facilitate the development of fully integrated and universally accessible playgrounds where children of all abilities (including children with physical, developmental and sensory disabilities) can laugh, play and grow together.

"Boundless Playgrounds has grown from a grassroots movement inspired by Amy and Peter Barzach to an army of dedicated professionals and volunteers. Together they created the first ‘Boundless Playground’ where children of all abilities could play together. This universally accessible 25,000 square-foot community playground opened in 1996.

A resulting article published in Time magazine generated hundreds of inquiries. Boundless Playgrounds was formed in response to this outpouring of calls for assistance and officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1998.

Boundless Playgrounds National Resource Center was established in 1998 with a significant multi-year grant from the Hasbro Children’s Foundation to launch a national education campaign and fund technical assistance to 24 now completed community playground projects.

To date, over 45 Boundless Playgrounds projects have been completed, and by early spring of 2003, 60 will have opened with 100 more underway. Internationally, Boundless Playgrounds has opened a playground in Canada with several projects in early development around the world.

The organization currently receives up to 200 requests for help and information a month from communities throughout the United States and around the world.

Amy Jaffe Barzach, co-founder and executive director of Boundless Playgrounds, leads a staff of dedicated professionals and volunteers. Key among its professional is Creative Director Jean Schappet, who is a recognized expert in developing playgrounds that a fully integrated, universally accessible, developmentally appropriate, challenging, safe and fun.

CONNECTICUT PLAYGROUND LOCATIONS:

• Berlin
  -Friendship Place, Willard School
• Bristol
  -DeWitt Page Park
• East Hartford
  -YWCA, Early Childhood Learning Center
• Glastonbury
  -Glastonbury Rotary Playground, Addison Park
• Hartford
  -The Learning Corridor
• Manchester
  -Northwest Park
• New Haven
  -Hannah’s Dream, East Shore Park
• Newington
  -Our Children’s Place, Mill Pond Park
• Norwalk
  -Devon’s Place, Matthews Park
• Rocky Hill
  -Taylor’s Place, Myrtle H. Stevens School
• Simsbury
  -Iron Horse Blvd
• Southington
  -Rainbow Playground, Panthorn Park
• Stamford
  -Twin Meadows Playground, Still Meadow School
• Wallingford
  -Bristol-Myers Squibb Bright Horizons Child
• Waterbury
  -Maeve’s Dreamland, Schofield Park
• Watertown
  -Kangaroo Korner Early Intervention Center
• West Hartford
  -Solomon’s Path, Solomon Schechter Day School
• West Hartford
  -Norfeldt Elementary School
• West Hartford
  -Gengras Center, St. Joseph’s College
• Wethersfield
  -CCMC School
• Willimantic
  -Windham Parent Network, Memorial Park

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