Wheelchair Swing for Children with Disabilities:
Children with Disability NZ Our mission is to make New Zealand the most disabled child friendly region in the world!
Wheelchair Swing Waipu Park
Thanks for Helping Us Fund A Wheelchair Swing!
Funding Completed:
Children with Disability New Zealand is the charity. Our charity was formed following a meeting between three people looking for a missing wheelchair swing. Kylee Ostermann, Charlie Bonner Germain, and Glen McMillan teamed up. Kylee has a disabled son, Alex. Alex just loved that swing, and now it was gone. We made inquiries and found the swing in council storage. We were offered the swing, but this proved impractical. Plans changed. Our charity developed a plan, which we put to council, for a new playground to be developed in Waipu, Northland.
This playground is being funded by both the community and the council. After many meetings and much discussion between our charity and Whangarei Council, an agreement was made that the Council would fund the cost of a new wheelchair swing if our charity could raise $11,000 towards the cost. We are there; it is late March 2022; we can now contribute our $10,000; we have reached our goal. Our next fundraising goal may be an accessible seesaw for Raumanga Park in Whangarei; the fundraising starts now, so please consider donating.
Mums Testimonials
"Embrace the unique way your child is blooming—even if it’s not in the garden you imagined."
-Kylee Ostermann.
Wheelchair Swing Waipu Park
Our Ongoing Projects:
Pohe Island:
Pohe Island destination playground development plan An area next to the Hātea Loop and the new Pohe Island skatepark will be home to an exciting destination playground. Contractors United Civil Construction has started preparing the site for the construction of the new Pohe Island playground. The Pohe Island destination playground will be completed in 2022, and once finished, it will be a destination play experience for locals and visitors alike, featuring climbing structures, slides, a large sandpit, many swings, new toilets, and space to run around. We are getting a number of requests for more shaded areas.
Whangārei District Council parks and recreation manager Sue Hodge said they had made some changes to the playground design following a consultation with an independent Disability Advisory Group. "We plan to relocate the sensory equipment (musical equipment) that was removed from the Town Basin to Pohe Island." There will be long, textured, colored straps providing sensory play under one of the large towers. Adjacent is a basket swing set at a height to accommodate those with physical restrictions. The basket moves gently, and this is a potential 'quiet space' for children.
"In the sandpit, we have provided a table accessible from the synthetic surface at wheelchair height where sand play can happen. There will be sand toys attached to the table. " We are also installing a wheelchair trampoline and another wheelchair-accessible carousel, similar to the Town Basin one.
Reach your goals
“You cannot change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails to always reach your goals or destination.”
-Glen McMillan.
Join Us & Make A Difference To Our Kids
Would You Like To Start A Project With Us?
Lets Gets Better Facilities For The Disabled:
Waipu Park has a disability swing.
Specialized sensory classes for disabled children
A sensory park
an interactive fountain.
-Horse therapy.
Better access to Whangarei sports grounds
Better changing facilities are needed in public toilets.