The Mercer Island Pre-school Association (MIPA) and the city are cooperating in order to install new toddler play equipment and swings at Luther Burbank. We will be holding a Community Work Day on Saturday, July 25, at 9 a.m., and are requesting volunteers to help with the assembly. No specific building skills are needed. MIPA will be providing coffee and bagels. The meeting point is at the Luther Burbank playground.

The new play space has been designed with a toddler-senior-disabled-friendly perspective. The goal is to provide age-appropriate equipment for young children that is also easily navigated by caregivers. There are no substantial stairs, blind spots or extended reach spaces.

Through ongoing fundraising, we hope to eventually put a toddler-relevant picket fence around the space in order to provide even greater peace of mind. Some equipment was selected to accommodate children with temporary or permanent physical disabilities. While not specifically targeted at this demographic, there is recognition of the need to include some accessible play toys such as sensory panels, wheelchair-accessible dig machine, parallel bars and disabled swings. The main attraction will be a multi-functional fire engine.

Many thanks,

Debbie Bertlin, MIPA