Wheelchair swing brings fun to students

Those with special needs benefit from equipment, district official says

SPRINGDALE — The wheelchair swing at Sonora Elementary School makes third-grader Logan Lane happy.

“As the father of a special needs kid, it’s really sad that they don’t get to do all the normal things that kids do,” said Logan’s dad, Randy Lane. “So when I heard they were getting a swing here, I was really excited for him. And when the teachers sent a video of him on the swing, he was just laughing and having a great time.”

Sonora is among six schools in the Springdale School District to receive the swings, which allow special needs children to enjoy playground fun with their fellow students, said Andee Ingram, the district’s special education supervisor.

On Monday, the Sonora Elementary wheelchair swing was in full swing. Teachers and parents took turns gently pushing students in the swing, offering encouragement and cheers. Happy voices echoed throughout the sunny schoolyard.

The swing carriage easily accommodates the wheelchair and provides plenty of room for a child to enjoy the ride. There’s also a rope pull to allow children to propel themselves, according to a district news release.

“If we didn’t have the swings, the students wouldn’t be able to engage in recess activities like their peers,” Ingram said. “This gives them that opportunity to go out and have fun with their peers. Their peers can help push them, and they get to participate in the recess activities like their peers.”

The Sonora swing was installed last November, Ingram said. It faces the playground, which suits 8-year-old Logan just fine, his dad said.

“I just love that he has a chance to come out here and swing — like the other kids,” Randy Lane said. “He can be on the swing and watch all the other kids playing, too. He loves to watch things in front of him. We’ve got a dog at home and other kids, and he just loves to be in the middle of all of it. It’s just fun seeing the joy in his eyes when he’s swinging in a chair like that.”

Logan isn’t verbal and doesn’t communicate the way other kids do, Lane said.

“All you get is really how he’s feeling, his mood at the time,” Lane said. “Anything I can do to make him happy, make him laugh, I just love it. The teachers here have been amazing.”

Using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds from the federal American Rescue Plan, the Springdale district purchased six Freedom Glider wheelchair swings for a total of $89,683 last year, according to a district news release. The swings — one per school — have been installed at Hunt, Knapp, Monitor, Sonora and Young elementaries, according to the district.

The sixth swing, which is for George Elementary, will be added once remodeling there is completed. George’s gymnasium was destroyed and other areas of the school

were damaged in a March 2022 tornado.

Those six schools were selected based on their special education population and because the schools have historically had more students in wheelchairs who’d benefit from the swings, according to the release.

There are three students at Sonora who can use the swing, Ingram said.

“It makes me very happy to see that our kids are able to come out and participate, enjoy recess and get to do the stuff that makes them happy,” Ingram said.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler) Doreka Edwin watches Monday as her son, Dion, swings on a wheelchair swing at Sonora Elementary School in Springdale. The swing has four wheelchair tie-downs to secure the chair when the swing rocks and also has a rope for the students to self-propel. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today’s photo gallery.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler) Randall Lane of Springdale helps his son, Logan Lane, swing Monday on a wheelchair swing at Sonora Elementary School in Springdale. The swing has four wheelchair tie-downs to secure the chair when the swing rocks and also has a rope for the students to self-propel. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today’s photo gallery.