A mother’s proactive approach to creating a more inclusive world for her son continues though future plans are still a work in progress. Westyn Hacking is an energetic preschooler who was born blind and has Cerebral Palsy. His mother Shaylee has led an effort to see ADA accessible playground equipment, including a merry-go-round and swing, installed at Naples City Park that allows for friends of all abilities to play and have fun. While they have plans to expand, they are still trying to decide the best direction to go. Options are limited on what can be added to the parks that are in place right now, other than Naples, because they are not up to ADA compliance. “We have talked about adding a bench and shade cover to the current pieces we have in place,” explains Shaylee. “There has been talk of finishing that field behind the rec center that would push for a lot more accessibility of equipment but that could potentially be years out. I have my eye on several pieces of playground equipment that would be fun additions to any playground but we are just working on the back side of things now before all the official planning goes into place.” While future plans are still in process one thing remains the same, the commitment of Shaylee to her son and the dream of a more inclusive world for children of all abilities.
