The City of Burlington officially opened its first inclusive multiuser swing to Central Park. Multiple people can use the swing at once, including people who use wheelchairs.

One parent CHCH News spoke with said, “I got very emotional because it was like, I finally got to see it happen in my lifetime. You can tell from my son’s face and other kids just how excited they are.”

The idea for the wheelchair swing was brought to the city in 2019. In 2020, Burlington found a suitable design that allowed children to play with their playmates safely in the same space. The city says the total project cost about $160,000 through funding from the city and the Patrick J Mcnally Charitable Foundation.

Other elements added to the park include a communication board, rubber safety surfaces underneath the swing, and an accessibility ramp so children can access the swing.

Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward says this addition is an important one for the city, “when you make a city and all of our facilities accessible for people who use mobility devices, you make it better for everybody.”

Burlington says that they’ll be looking to add more inclusive swings like these to parks when the equipment comes up for renewal.

The City of Hamilton also installed a similar swing in April at Heritage Green Sports Park.