SPRING HILL, Fla. — A mom in Hernando County is working to make parks and playgrounds in the county accessible to everyone.
- Danielle Zukoski wants county parks to be more accessible
- Her daughter, Iris, has cerebral palsy
- LINK: Petition on change.org
- LINK: "Make it accessible" GoFundMe page
This comes after her daughter, who uses a walker, couldn't get to some of the equipment on a playground.
Danielle Zukoski's 5-year-old daughter, Iris, can light up a room with her smile.
"If you know Iris, she's super happy all the time," Zukoski said.
That's why Zukoski said a video she took when they visited Anderson Snow Park in Spring Hill for a birthday party is so heartbreaking.
Iris has cerebral palsy as well as hemiparesis, which affects the right side of her body, causing her to need a walker. While Iris was heading for a handicap-accessible swing, she got stuck in the sand.
Zukoski said she was filming Iris to show her husband how happy Iris was before she got to the sand.
"You could see how excited she was and that was a moment I wanted to share with her dad, and I full heartedly wasn't expecting what happened," Zukoski said.
That's when she knew she needed to do something to make the park more accessible for kids with special needs.
She started a petition on change.org to make the park more accessible. The petition already has hundreds of signatures.
Hernando County representatives say all other playgrounds in the county have mulch that is ADA compliant.
But Zukowski said putting mulch at Anderson Snow wouldn't solve the problem.
"She can't get her walker through it," she said. "And then when I let her independently play, just getting from the sidewalk to the equipment, you know, she's on her arm and her leg and she's got scratches down her leg and splinters," she explained.
Zukoski would like to see a rubber surface put in so it's easier for Iris and other kids to navigate the playground.
It's something that many members of the community support, some even willing to provide donations to make it a reality.
"When I saw Iris' story in Facebook, it was kind of heartbreaking. I'm trying to get private investors involved and local charities involved to try and get this accomplished much quicker," Joe Swilley said.
"I'm so happy that we've gotten as much attention we have. It's spreading awareness that there are people out here with disabilities," Zukoski said.
Zukowski does have a meeting planned with the county on Monday to discuss what should be done at the park.
A county spokeswoman said because of all of the community support, they are planning to consider other options for the park beyond the ADA compliant mulch.
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