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Carol Kelley’s 35-year-old son, Michael, has a genetic disability that leaves him wheelchair-bound, and for decades, he has been unable to enjoy many playgrounds or other unique types of outdoor recreation.
“The last time he swung in a swing in a seat, when he was safe to be put in one, he was five in preschool,” Kelley recalled. “Once he entered public school, there was no access for him for any playground equipment for a wheelchair user.”
So it was a relief when, just a few years ago, they were eating at the Red Barn chicken restaurant in Augusta and discovered a wheelchair-accessible swing on the premises. It consists of a swinging platform that hangs just off the ground, onto which wheelchairs can be safely fastened.
“He just grinned from ear to ear while I was swinging him in that, just to have that freedom of movement,” Kelley said.
More recently, they also found another swing like it in the Penobscot County town of Dexter, where Michael Kelley enjoyed views of the water, children playing and the uninhibited freedom of movement, his mother reported.
But the Kelleys live in the town of Waldo, which means they must travel at least 45 miles to get to those swings. Soon, though, that could change.
Just across the town line in Belfast, former mayor and city councilor Mike Hurley has recently started a fundraiser to bring a wheelchair-accessible swing to the city after learning of Michael Kelley’s experience in Dexter and his mother’s appreciation of its inclusivity.
It’s part of a larger effort in the midcoast community. Belfast is working to improve its pedestrian, bicycle and wheelchair accessibility, including recently completing a 108-page study that pointed to areas where it can start.
But there are still gaps, including the fact that people like Michael Kelley have been unable to play on school playgrounds. To that end, Hurley has nearly raised $2,000 to purchase such a swing and add it to the area around the Belfast Harbor Walk. He says it would make a good addition to the various public spaces along the waterfront.
“It’s very accessible. The harbor walk and the rail trail and bridge are an amazing asset for people,” Hurley said. “That said, there’s nothing like this. There’s nothing like a swing. We have tennis courts and baseball and pickleball and basketball, and all kinds of sport facilities for people who can use them, but we’re very light on what [wheelchair users] can do.”
Hurley is working with local officials and the City Council to find a spot for the swing and a company that can deliver it.
If any extra money is raised, Hurley said he may try to add a second swing, or work with the city to get a pontoon boat that could take people in wheelchairs out onto the water. However, he noted that would require additional layers of approval from the City Council given the need to hire a captain and take other precautions.
“Life in a wheelchair is not always easy,” Hurley said. “This is one more little thing that makes it more enjoyable, accessible, another reason to go somewhere and do something.”
Like the Kelleys, Belfast resident Neva Allen is also excited about the prospect of a wheelchair-accessible swing coming to the city.
Allen, who uses a power wheelchair, has in the past felt frustrated and marginalized when public establishments failed to adequately meet the needs of those with disabilities.
“It’s so exciting that people in my situation, or people like me who aren’t as mobile or able, can have things to do,” Allen said. “It’s important that we’re treated as regular people. The Americans with Disabilities Act was put into law over 30 some years ago, and yet we’re still fighting for our rights, just to be given the same dignity and respect as everybody else in all kinds of ways.”
