Fun for everyone

SANDPOINT — The weather is sunny and clear Wednesday afternoon, and Isabella Noble is finally able to fully enjoy the beautiful day along with the other kids in Travers Park.

Thanks to the efforts of community residents, charitable organizations and her parents Tanya and Brian, the city has outfitted the playground with new handicap-accessible equipment.

For Isabella, a 9-year-old diagnosed with the muscle and cognition inhibiting neurological disorder Rett syndrome, that means more fun on the specially designed swings and slides. For her parents, that means less difficulty and worry negotiating their 60-pound daughter around unfriendly equipment designed for fully mobile children. 

Isabella’s condition requires the use of a wheelchair. Prior to the installation of the new equipment in early October, the Nobles had to remove Isabella from her chair, carry her up the slide steps and descend with her in their laps. Now, with a host of features available in a ramp accessible play fort, those stresses are over.

“We can wheel her right into this hub that all the kids use and run around in,” Tanya Noble said. “It’s more fun for her and it actually puts her in a social setting where she can interact with her brothers and the other kids.”

Isabella also enjoys the spinning wheels, noise-makers and other interactive elements in the equipment. With its bustle, sounds and bright colors, the new equipment isn’t just a play-place — it’s a complete sensory experience.

Tanya sits on a specially-designed wide slide with Isabella in her lap, positioning her on the edge where she can see the the park and sit upright, giving her upper body valuable exercise. Then, down they go. Brian is waiting to catch them at the bottom.

“On days like this it’s great to take the family out and just let the kids play,” he said. “And it’s even better now that Isabella can participate in the fun.”

That fun is possible through the generosity of several institutions and the organizational work of her parents. Tanya got the project rolling through her involvement in Everyone Plays, an organization that advocates consideration for handicapped children. With help from Kim Woodruff, director of Sandpoint Parks and Recreation, she was able to secure funding for the project.

“Watching kids laugh and play on this playground charges my batteries and reminds me why I truly love my work,” Woodruff said. “It is so much more than a job.”

A variety of sources financed the $114,761 project. The majority came from the city of Sandpoint Parks Improvement Fund, while grants from playground manufacturer GameTime, Equinox, the Christopher Reeve Foundation and the Eva Coomb Committee took care of the rest.

“We were really grateful for all the generosity and hard work that went into this playground equipment,” Tanya said.

And with Travers Park right next door to the Assemblies of God church that Brian pastors, the location couldn’t be better. It’s safe to say that there are many a sunny Sunday afternoon in Isabella’s foreseeable future.