Bill Making Inclusive Playgrounds for Children of All Abilities Advances to the State Senate

• Annel Lopez Hailey
• Communications Director
• (916) 319-2077
• [email protected]

SACRAMENTO, CA. - Today, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner's (D-Encinitas) bill on inclusive playgrounds, Assembly Bill (AB) 2241, passed the Assembly Floor 62-0 with bipartisan support. AB 2241 would ensure that newly built or renovated playgrounds in public schools are made with inclusive features for students of all abilities. Features include sensory play structures, ramps, adaptive swings, and quiet spaces.

"When students are civically engaged, we give them an opportunity to make our world better, and that is exactly what AB 2241 is doing. When students from La Costa Heights Elementary realized students were being excluded from participating in recess, they came to Sacramento to advocate for inclusive playgrounds. Play is an important part of a child's life, especially for students with different abilities. Like one student from La Costa Elementary said, 'if we don't design for inclusion, we don't design for all'," stated Assemblymember Boerner.

Last year, 5th grade students from La Costa Heights Elementary School from the Encinitas Union School District visited the California State Capitol to present their bill, the California Inclusive Playgrounds Act (CIPA) to California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, and State Senator Catherine Blakespear. This year, Assemblymember Boerner is working on making the proposal law. AB 2241 is now headed to the State Senate.

You can watch a video here where students from La Costa Heights Elementary advocate for AB 2241.