‘Safe and fun for everybody’
Yuba City unveils plans for new park equipment designed for children with special needs
For the past 30 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has helped make the world a more accessible place.
These inclusive laws have enabled many handicapped adults to reach a sense of normalcy, but too often the special needs of disabled children go overlooked.
“I’ve learned through having a child with autism that, with a lot of places, it’s not even a thought to think about,” said Caitlin Boyd, a Yuba City mom. “Restaurants and stores all have to be handicap accessible, but it’s not a requirement for parks. So I wanted something that was safe and fun for everybody.”
Boyd is a mother of three who moved to Yuba City in
2018. Her family purchased a home across from Maple Park to accommodate the needs of their growing family and care for their eldest son, Colin.
Colin Boyd was diagnosed with both autism and stage three Rhabdomyosarcoma, a very rare form of cancer that affects the soft tissues and connective muscles of the body.
“Our health team threw everything they had at it,” said Caitlin Boyd, “And it just didn’t slow it down.”
Colin Boyd’s cancer progressed rapidly and, within a year of diagnosis, he passed away in January just six days shy of his 5th birthday. But while he was here, he enjoyed spending time at the park right outside his home.
“He loved the park, especially the swings,” said Caitlin Boyd. “He wanted to come over every day, but it was hard for him to play here because of the equipment and because of his disabilities.”
Colin Boyd’s autism would sometimes cause sensory issues and the tumor on his hip hindered his mobility. Before his passing, Caitlin Boyd contacted the city to see if there was anything she could do to help make her son’s favorite place a more inviting space.
Her journey started with a Facebook post in a local Yuba City mom’s group, asking if anyone had connections to the parks department. This led her to Brad Mcintire, the community services director for the city of Yuba City.
Mcintire said he thought it was funny that Boyd contacted him about Maple Park because it had just recently been put on the schedule to be fixed in the coming year.
“After meeting with Brad there were a lot of back and forth conversations on what I would want and what would be helpful to special needs children,” explained Boyd.
Colin Boyd’s autism therapist even weighed in on the design and made suggestions based on the pictures that were sent to Caitlin Boyd from the city. When Colin Boyd’s health took a turn for the worse, there was a temporary break in contact, but in late February Caitlin Boyd reached back out to Mcintire to get an update on the project.
“I just thought that they were gonna redo the park and put a couple pieces in there for children with handicap needs,” said Boyd. “I didn’t know that they were gonna do a whole sensory area until we met that day, so of course I was super overwhelmed with emotion.
I’ve never really been to a park that has an area dedicated to kids with sensory needs. I know places that have a couple pieces here and there, but not complete areas of it. And I didn’t know they were going to be calling it Colin’s Corner until we met.”
The replacement of Maple Park’s existing equipment was funded through a Community Development Block Grant program in the amount of $101,000. Colin’s Corner is designed to be an extension of Maple Park, but it requires additional funds.
So far, the Friends of Yuba
City Parks and Recreation Foundation have donated $5,000, while private donations from Colin Boyd’s family and friends have reached $8,100. There is approximately $56,000 or more needed to complete the project, but Mcintire is still very hopeful.
“I do believe that our community is very gracious and giving when it comes to these types of projects,” said Mcintire. “I’ve been here my entire work career, and I believe it will happen.”
Yuba City Councilmember
Marc Boomgaarden said that the city has not yet allocated funding toward this project, other than the staff support time to incorporate Colin’s Corner equipment designs into the existing replacement plan.
“We have pending budget requests which the council will be considering as it adopts its Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget,” said Boomgaarden. “There is also the possibility that the city can utilize some of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to support this. The CDBG allocation process is underway right now as well.”
Colin’s Corner will be the first of its kind within Yuba City and Sutter County. Mcintire said there are many parks that feature specific pieces dedicated to special needs children, but not entire areas like this. Plans for Colin’s Corner include sensory play equipment for disabled children, a soft pour-in place surface floor, and a 4-foot security fence.
“Being a special needs mom, all you want for your child is to feel a sense of normalcy,” said Boyd. “Handicapped kids already feel isolated, and then when they can’t even play with their peers, because there’s nothing for them to play on, it’s heartbreaking.”
Both Boomgaarden and Mcintire believe that making the local parks more inviting and accommodating to those with special needs is very important and is consistent with the city’s goal of providing its citizens with a good quality of life.
“There is no debate on whether we want to have it,” said Mcintire. “This project is very important to staff. … It’s just a matter of being able to get the funds and then do it.”
To accelerate the process, donations for Colin’s Corner can be made at donorbox.org/colins-wish or checks can be sent to the Friends of Yuba City Parks & Recreation at 1201 Civic Center Blvd. in Yuba City.
In the meantime, Mcintire is trying to slow down the work on Maple Park and bide more time to fund Colin’s Corner. His aim is to order all the equipment together and projected that the big replacement features at Maple Park could be done within the next three months.
The city of Yuba City has also partnered with the Yuba City Early Risers Kiwanis Club to include sensory play equipment in the new Didar S. Bains Park in west Yuba City which should be open by November.
Boyd is grateful to the parks department and the city for all they’ve done to include and incorporate Colin Boyd’s memory. She hopes it will be a catalyst for more places where all kids can have fun and feel safe.
For more information, or questions on Colin’s Corner, contact Mcintire at 530-8224652.