• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Central Iowa park aims to be America’s most accessible park

Central Iowa park aims to be America’s most accessible park

July 18, 2022 By Radio Iowa Contributor

An $8-million upgrade is planned for a lakeside park in Des Moines with the goal of creating the most accessible park in the country.

Kami Rankin, deputy director of Polk County Conservation, says the renovation designers on the Easter Lake Park project took ideas from other parks across the U.S., aiming to make outdoor recreation universally accessible to people with disabilities.

Rankin says, “We have found that there are little pockets of accessible types of opportunities for people, which are great, but there’s nothing of this scale.”

The plan includes adaptive playground equipment, a zero-entry ramp at the beach and a wheelchair-accessible pontoon boat. A de-escalation room will also be open to people with autism, PTSD or other conditions who need a quiet place to calm themselves.

Rankin says the department created a checklist that other agencies can use to make parks fully accessible.

“You’re going to be able to get out of your car at this facility, and no matter what your ability, you are going to be able to get to every single recreation element that we have in this park,” she says.

Construction at Easter Lake is expected to be done by spring of 2024. The park is being named the Athene  North Shore Rec Area after the West Des Moines insurance company which is a major donor for the project. It is funded through a $2.5-million state grant through Destination Iowa.

Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest, News, Outdoors, Recreation / Entertainment

Featured Stories

Final employee who was there at the launch of the Iowa Lottery to retire

No more USPS mail in Iowa prisons; inmates to get copies of mail

State officials warn of influx of fake prescription drugs laced with fentanyl

‘Brain-eating amoeba’ discovered in Taylor County lake

Cedar Rapids therapist’s relationship with student leads to years in prison

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Knee injury sidelines Iowa’s Feuerbach

Iowa State’s McDonald has unfinished business

Hawkeyes open fall camp

Northern Iowa picked to finish fifth in MVFC race

Hunter Dekkers takes over at Iowa State

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC