Building a Safe Playground for Children with Disabilities
The Miracle League of Sioux City Baseball Field and Inclusive Playground provides fun and exciting opportunities to people with disabilities, and provides access to a safe playground for all Siouxland children.
The Miracle League began in 1998 in an Atlanta, GA suburb when a Rockdale Youth Baseball Association’s coach invited a child with a disability to play baseball on his team. In 1999 other children with disabilities expressed an interest in playing and the league grew to over 50 players. During that season it was learned that over 75,000 children in the Atlanta area had disabilities that prevented them from participating in team sports.
The Miracle League was formed and it quickly became a reality that all children should be afforded the chance to play baseball. The first Miracle League complex was completed in the Spring of 2000 and after the league received local and national media attention, the Miracle League Association took the program across the country. Today there are 275 Miracle League Organizations that have formed serving over 200,000 kids and young adults with disabilities.
While designing the field and playground in Sioux City, IA, the designers had to consider all physical needs of children with disabilities and barriers had to be limited or removed to ensure the safety of these children. Part of this design included utilizing LiteForm’s FlexxBoard 25. When using FlexxBoard 25 underneath the concrete, it acts as a thermal barrier and doesn’t allow the ground below to freeze and cause the concrete to heave and crack. This prevents any possibilities of trip hazards for the ballplayers and their families. Essentially FlexxBoard 25 tricks the ground below it into thinking it is located in Arizona year around bonding directly to concrete resulting in a stronger, more durable insulation that will not rot or deteriorate when exposed to natural elements.
Many business owners have also begun using FlexxBoard 25 when constructing new sidewalks or replacing existing as an added protection against possible frost heaving resulting in trip hazards as well as to extend the life of concrete driveways and sidewalks.
FlexxBoard25 was developed by LiteForm, one of the first manufacturers of Insulated Concrete Forms made of Expanded Polystyrene Rigid Foam Insulation (EPS). LiteForm proudly contributed to the first phases of The Miracle League of Sioux City project and we look forward to being involved in the Splash Pad and Miniature Golf phases, helping to ensure the safety of children with disabilities on the field, on the playground and every other concrete surface at the complex.
