Grantees - Illinois

Community Foundation of East Central Illinois
Possibility Piers — Will build accessible fishing piers and platforms at three sites – River Bend Forest Preserve near Mahomet, Kaufmann Lake Park in Champaign, and Crystal Lake Park in Urbana. The accessible fishing piers and platforms will be floating structures that are attached to the shoreline by an accessible ramp that includes a transition plate allowing for a gradual transition from deck to water level. The structures will be large enough to provide space for group educational activities and will include benches, tackle box tables and a shade structure. An accessible railing system will allow a person who is sitting to fish “through” the rail. In addition, special accessible fishing stations will be provided on the platforms.
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The DuPage Community Foundation
www.dcfdn.org

Woodridge 75th Street Park — The proposed playground is intended to be a model park for Woodridge and surrounding communities, using Universal Design extensively. The park will include walkways, raised bed sensory garden, water play feature and accessible picnic tables.

York Center Park District Community Park — Will renovate previous Waste Management site into a park situated to serve people at every stage of life. The park will be located between a Senior Center, elementary school, high school and fishing pond. An accessible pathway, including nature trails, provides opportunities for all age groups to interact and for seniors to follow this pathway to exercise at the Life Trail Senior Fitness stations. An accessible horseshoe and bocce ball pit will be available for people with and without disabilities. Nature interpretive stations, a counsel ring/amphitheater, and a formal garden with a water feature add to the variety of recreational opportunities at this park.

The Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation
www.oprfcf.org
Making a Splash for Recreation — Will include the installation of a universally accessible water play area as a highlighted feature of a newly designed Longfellow Park and will also install a synthetic rubberized surface under the adjacent Play Apparatus Area making this element of the park fully accessible.
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Sangamon County Community Foundation
Southwind Park Navigation System — Edwin Watts Southwind Park is currently being constructed from scratch on the south side of Springfield, IL with the goal of being a universally accessible park. Accessible elements of the park will include sensory gardens, fishing piers, trails, playgrounds, and an amphitheater. The Access to Recreation grant will tie all of the accessibility aspects of Southwind Park together, through a navigation system that includes accessible signage, walkways, customized accessible golf carts, portable TTY systems for the deaf, and an emergency call system.
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