So, today I was watching Martha Stewart's TV show (OK, fine, I admit it, it's my lunchtime thing, I will hear no more on the matter!), in which she highlighted the finalists of her "Dreamers Into Doers" contest for people who have let their passions drive the establishment of their business. It was a real tear-jerky show, complete with string-ensemble background music, guest Maya Angelou talking about all her "daughters" around the world, and stories from women who have transformed their lives with things as simple as Southern biscuits and as profound as nonprofit services for families with dying kids.

Despite the over-the-top production of the whole shebang, one finalist's story really moved me, and she eventually triumphed as the winner. Amy Jaffe Barzach's nonprofit, Boundless Playgrounds, builds playscapes that are accessible for children of all abilities, with ramps instead of stairs, wheelchair-friendly surfacing, swings with back supports, and elevated sand and water tables. In the footage, it was clear that these aren't simply playgrounds for disabled kids, they truly are just really cool playgrounds for all kids that also happen to be easier for children with mobility challenges to use.

Something I hadn't thought about before seeing this show was how most playgrounds aren't accessible for parents with disabilities, and how this limits their choices for ways they can engage with their own children. One mother talked about being able to push her son on the swings for the first time because finally there was a park that was not planted in a sandpit or wood chips, which are impossible to navigate in her wheelchair. I found this part of the story the most touching of all.

I know how important it is for children to play, experiment, and explore on a daily basis, and I have a hard time imagining how it must feel to not be able to participate in this process as a parent. I found myself thinking about what I would do without my son's and my several weekly trips to the neighborhood parks to play with the other kids. Our lives would be so lonely, so less rich in experience and fun.

You can read more about Boundless Playgrounds, and find one near you, here.