Parc Independence is Open!

The Kiwanis Club of Lafayette is very excited about our latest Service Project. It is the single largest project that we have undertaken in our club's 67-year history of serving the youth of our area. Thanks to the countless generous contributions of individuals and businesses, and the generous support of our local parish government we have opened a new playground area that we have named Parc Independence. It is so named because it is Lafayette's first "handi-capable" play area - a place where children of all abilities will be able to play together. Located within Girard Park, we are hoping that this will be only the first such playground for our community.

A partnership between the Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette, Parc Independence was designed specifically to accommodate children that have physical and developmental disabilities. It eliminates separations, thereby allowing all children to play together. Some features of the playground include extra-wide entrances and ramps to provide access for wheelchairs and other personal equipment, specially-designed swing sets to accommodate wheelchairs, limited entrance and exit points to assist parents and guardians in watching over their children, and many more features typically not considered in park design. Because even the smallest design elements can create the largest obstacles for many children with disabilities, careful attention has been paid towards making the Park ADA-compliant. Our intent is to eliminate barriers and create a place where all children can play together - regardless of abilities.

The Parc has been featured as one of the top 10 Kiwanis projects in the world at the 2011 Kiwanis International Convention in Geneva, Switzerland. Also, the Therapeutic Recreation Symposium for the Southwest (which represents 5 states) bestowed The Outstanding Service award to the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette and LCG Parks & Recreation Department for their outstanding contributions to the development & support of therapeutic recreation.

Thank you for your interest in our club and in Parc Independence. To see more pictures of the park, click here. And for more information about our club, click here to contact us.

 

For over 6 decades, the Kiwanis Club of Lafayette has been helping the children of Acadiana. Please consider helping us in our mission by making a tax-deductible contribution to The Kiwanis Club of Lafayette Foundation. No amount is too small - your donation can help us do more projects like this.

 




One Review

  1. Hi! As a Freetown resident, student of ULL and Lafayette lover. A select group of friends and I are working on putting together a festiville in Freetown to feature up and coming local musicians, but most importantly raise money to feed the under nourished kids and family’s of Lafayette. Also we would like to build a jungle gym in the Freetown area for kids to have an outlet for energy and a fun way to stay healthy! We know that yall have experience with playgrounds and other things, and would love to work through you, get you exposure, and build a better community! You can reach me via phone at 3187692503 or by email! Thank you!
    Talk soon

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