Liberty Swing Brings Smiles to America's Children
by Jody Grimaldi, Variety of Illinois, Tent 26
Swing brings smiles for Champaign handicapped
By Julie Wurth, The News-Gazette, Friday, June 30, 2006
Reach For The Sky With The LIBERTY SWING
...a revolutionary concept in playground equipment for people with disabilities...
WISHES DO COME TRUE
Thirteen years ago, Wayne Devine's heart sank when he watched able-bodied children enjoying the swings at his local park while a child in a wheelchair was unable to
join in. Instead of walking away, Wayne was compelled to do something about it. Drawing on his experience in building and designing conventional playgrounds, the
charitable Sydneysider began work on a special swing that gives disabled children (and adults) the chance to "fly through the air and feel the breeze on their faces".
The Liberty Swing functions in a similar way to an ordinary swing, but there are more mechanics involved in its make up and it is a lot larger than a conventional swing. Many design and engineering provisions hade to be made in order to safely accommodate a wheelchair. There is a ramp that attaches to the swing so that a wheelchair can be rolled up on to it. The ramp is fitted with a torsion spring to reduce its weight and it also features a comprehensive diagram showing how to lift and lower the ramp safely. Once a wheelchair is maneuvered into place, the wheels are fixed with a special wheel-locking mechanism, made to accommodate either electric or standard wheelchairs.
Wayne's wish for everyone to be able to experience the joy of swinging inspired him to include an additional feature: a collapsible chair for those who are not necessarily dependent upon the use of a wheelchair but who are unable to use a conventional swing. The chair unfolds when needed so as not to take up valuable space on the swing and has a retractable harness-type seatbelt.
The swing's capsule is made from a heavy-duty plastic because, although Wayne's initial prototype was timber, a wooden construction wouldn't be suitable for an outdoor playground. If wear-and-tear was one consideration in the choice of materials for the swing, then bearing the weight of a wheelchair was another. An internal steel structure had to be included in the swing to support weights of up to 250 kg (550lbs).
The swing has undergone rigorous independent testing and has obtained all the necessary approvals and certifications confirming that the swing is Òsafe and easy to useÓ.
The Liberty Swing is a revolutionary new concept in playground equipment for people with disabilities ÉÉ and is proof that wishes do come true ÉÉ children (and adults) who require the use of a wheel-chair can now enjoy the thrill of the park swing.
FROM WISH TO REALITY
The Liberty Swing is a world-first innovation - developed from the ground up with public use in mind.
The Liberty Swing was awarded a United States Patent (Patent No. 6,736,732 B1) on May 18th, 2004.
The swing ideally suits being located in high traffic playgrounds and because of its colors, proportion and purpose it almost becomes a feature in its own right.
Its inventive design allows the swing to blend in perfectly with other playground equipment, allowing its intended users to enjoy a simple ride without being singled out as Òsomeone special."
There are many key reasons why the Liberty Swing is considered to be a mainstream piece of equipment for any municipality, park or caring environment:
Safe and easy to use
Meets standards and safety requirements
Will stand up to the rigors of an outdoor playground
Securely locked when not in use
The Liberty Swing has been installed in numerous communities throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Variety - The Children's Charity has been closely involved with the installation of the Liberty Swing throughout Australia Ð their objective is to have access to a Liberty Swing in every community.
Quote from Occupational Therapist "the therapeutic benefits are significant: visual-spatial, muscle tone, head control, self-regulation, attention, emotional, etc. It's a wonderful product".
The Swing is manufactured in Australia to the highest quality and has been independently tested and approved to Australian, United States (ASTM Standard F1487-01) and other International Standards certification requirements.
It is a very safe and easy to use piece of equipment; the plastic mould capsule is fitted with an internal steel frame, making it robust enough to withstand the rigors of an outdoor playground (including the harsh winter elements of the US).
It's not just the kids who are swinging! Recently a Liberty Swing was purchased for Traralgon Community Park in Victoria, Australia where senior citizens from the local nursing home are taken on a regular basis for a recreational swing.
The Liberty Swing has received wide media coverage in Australia and New Zealand where it has been featured on television (the ABC's New Inventors program) as well as in leading newspapers and magazines.
The manufacturer recommends that the Liberty Swing is fenced within an enclosed area for safety reasons. Some playground consultants are ideologically opposed to fences in playgrounds; it would not be possible for the swing to be unfenced due to the bulk of the capsule and weight when it contains a person plus chair; the Liberty Swing looks great and blends in well with both long established and more recently designed playgrounds.
It is recommended that the Liberty Swing be placed in traditional play areas that allow it to co-exist with other playground equipment (rather than in isolated areas) in order that the whole family can go to the park together and all the kids (and adults), disabled and able-bodied, can enjoy the equipment; disabled kids (and adults) have been missing out on until now.
The Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, following a visit to a Liberty Swing in Sydney was so impressed, that one of his staffers phoned to offer support and the Premier subsequently wrote a testimonial for the swing the very next day.
Most people with disabilities access public amenities using a special key which can only be made by a master locksmith. This very same key is used with the Liberty Swing - to access the safety belt compartment, the gate and also to release the ramp.
When a swing is purchased, the purchaser receives two of these special keys which are easily reproduced; we suggest a sign on the fence advising the public where the nearest key can be collected to access the swing; additionally, special schools and individual families may already have their own keys.
The Liberty Swing contains an internal pop-up seat for people who are not confined to wheelchairs, but who still need the support of the seatbelt, or perhaps access to the swing by wheelchair; it is possible for some children (and adults), after initial help from their carer, to swing themselves, and if they have control of their upper bodies/arms, this provides an excellent form of exercise.
There is no similar product on the market; the closest piece of equipment is of a metal construction which swings very low to the ground (with minimal body clearance). There are Ôbucket' type swings which are designed for the disabled Ð but the user needs a considerable amount of mobility and body control. The carer is required to lift the person out of the wheelchair into the swing (which more often than not is impractical).
The Liberty Swing can be used by people with the most restrictive and severe disabilities; it takes all sizes of wheelchairs.
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID
"It was a happy coincidence that the day I saw the Liberty Swing in action was July 4th, a great anniversary for freedom and liberty."
"What I witnessed in a park in Hurstville was clever engineering giving children with a disability the freedom to do something simple yet exhilarating - something we all take for granted - to have a swing."
"Everyone who sees the Liberty Swing in action describes the joy on the faces of children enjoying a swing for the first time. I know because I witnessed it myself."
"That's why I'm proud to support this innovative product."
Bob Carr
Premier of New South Wales
Current Member of the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Parliament
Minister for the Arts, Minister for Citizenship
"A normal part of growing up is to be able to go on the swings. When we first saw it...there was a queue for the kids to get on of no less than 30 all the time. We knew that we had to put one in for the kids of Melbourne."
Norm Hutton
Variety Club of Melbourne
Victoria
Australia
"I have received many thank you calls from parents telling me how delighted they are now that the whole family can enjoy coming to the park and experiencing that exhilarating feeling that only a swing can provide."
"No longer do children confined to a wheelchair have to sit on the side and watch their siblings have all the fun."
"Thank you for your dedication and effort in developing this product and I will continue to proudly show it off to anyone who shows even the slightest interest."
Cr. Sophie Ramsey
Mayor
Shire of Melton
Victoria
Australia
I thought I'd drop you a note to thank you for your fantastic Liberty Swing. My daughter, Mia, is 7 and uses a powered wheelchair. A normal swing for her is impossible to use unless I sit on one with her on my lap. We've been using the swing in Centennial Park these holidays and it's just fantastic. It' just great that it goes so high and that it gives us all such a thrill. Thank you so much."
Sandi and Mia Pomirski
Waverly
New South Wales
Australia
"I take this opportunity to congratulate Hurstville City Council, which officially opened the swing on July 21st. The Mayor of Hurstville, Councillor Phillip Sanson. had the honor of opening that facility. I congratulate the Council on having the foresight and courage to assist Wayne Devine to make this dream become a reality for the disabled children of Hurstville and the surrounding communities."
"On the 21st of July, I saw children experiencing what we have all taken for granted. It was exciting to see the joy and amazement in their faces. The next day I again saw the swing being used by children with disabilities, with the carers sharing the children's excitement."
Mr. Kevin Patrick Greene
Current Member of the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Parliament
"On Saturday and Sunday just gone, my daughter spent a total of 9 hours swinging on the Liberty Swing at Albert Park. I would lust like to thank you for giving her the opportunity to experience the joy of swinging. Her face was a picture and she drew so much attention from passers-by with her squeals of delight. Needless to say, she didn't want to go home."
Dolores Scally
Frankston
Victoria Australia
"Council is making an effort to ensure that people with disabilities are able to enjoy our parks and will be considering the use of special equipment, such as the Liberty Swing, for use in regional parks that are designated accessible for people with disabilities."
Dawn Emerson
Sutherland Shire Council
New South Wales
Australia
"Born with cerebral palsy, nine-year old Nicholas has spent his young life confined to a wheelchair. If it wasn't for the ingenuity of Wayne Devine, Nicholas would not be enjoying the simple childhood pleasure of sailing through the air on a swing in the sunshine."
"If the smile that lights up on Nicholas' face as the swing rocks back and forth is any indication, Wayne Devine has come up with a real winner in the Liberty Swing."
Deone Bennett
Assistant Principal
St George Special School
Sydney News South Wales
Australia
"I think this swing has the ability to change lives - not only for the people who use them, but for everyone."
Wayne Devine
Liberty Swing Inventor
Sydney
New South Wales
Australia
Leah Millar
Community Services Officer
PO Box 42
Kalamunda, WA 6926
Dear Leah,
We are two therapists who work for Disability Services Commission, and we cover the Kalamunda Shire in our geographical region. We were approached by a Local Area Coordinator for Kalamunda to write a supporting letter for the installation of a Liberty Swing in Stirk Park.
We feel honoured to be able to write a letter in support of a piece of equipment that will:
a) Be a wonderful play tool to a large number of children (including those with a disability)
b) Show support for inclusion of all members of our community
c) Be great in facilitating skills development, especially for those with a disability that have not traditionally been able to participate within a "normal" play environment with their peers.
It is beneficial for children of all ages (and adults) to interact with a variety of members of their community, including those with a disability. It is great for children to be around other children of a higher ability level, as they present with different attributes to challenge and encourage skill development (such as gross motor milestones and patience) and social development (including acceptance and turn taking). Making the Liberty Swing a community resource that is accessible to all members of the community is a positive step towards encouraging this sharing of physical, social and emotional development.
The Liberty Swing will offer a number of therapeutic benefits for all those who will access it. It can help to promote strength and postural control, motor coordination, vestibular stimulation, deep breathing, turn taking, freedom of movement, language development and sensory regulation (the ability to interpret the environment around us and being able to regulate the input from various stimuli). Children who use wheelchairs often have very limited voluntary movement, and lack the opportunity to experience the sensation of swinging. The Liberty Swing would provide them with an amazing and stimulating experience!
We feel the Liberty swing will be a fabulous therapeutic tool, promoting play, sensory, physical and emotional development, as well as being a great promotion for inclusivity. We have no hesitations in recommending the Liberty Swing for Stirk Park.
If we can be of further assistance in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us on
9329 2334.
Yours sincerely,
Catherine Narbett
Physiotherapist
Bree Woollams
Occupational Therapist
Disability Services Commission (South Perth District Team)
DISABLED PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT A SWINGING SUCCESS
Three months after its launch, the Redcliffe City Council's Liberty Swing has proved so popular that disability groups have had to book a time to use the public facility.
Disability services spokesperson Cr Andrew Jones said the success of the playground equipment, located at Pelican Park, Clontarf, was featured on an ABC TV program "The New Inventors" last week.
Cr Jones said the program stated that the Liberty Swing had been adopted throughout New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, but Redcliffe's swing had proved particularly successful.
"We have had disability groups call to book specific times to use the swing and organize bus trips, traveling 100 to 200 kilometres (65 to 140 miles) for the experience," Cr Jones said.
"A regular stream of mini buses, visiting from The Gap, incorporate the use of the swing with the feeding of pelicans and we've also had regular visitors from Morayfield, Mount Crosby, Oxley and Bracken Ridge."
"Redcliffe City Council has a strong commitment to providing services for disabled people and I am delighted that so many children have been able to enjoy the swing."
Cr Jones said the swing's inventor, Wayne Devine, had dedicated more than 10 years designing the swing.
"Mr. Devine was involved in designing and creating playgrounds in 1988 when he became aware that conventional playground equipment did not cater for children with disabilities."
"He noticed that while able-bodied children laughed and enjoyed the playground swings in his local park, a child in a wheelchair looked on with envy, so he began the process of creating a piece of playground equipment that children with a disability could enjoy."
"The Variety Club of Australia has taken up the Liberty Swing as a national cause and is working to have swings installed in parks around the country."
The Liberty Swing operates under the same principles as a normal playground swing but incorporates a ramp, which allows a wheelchair to be loaded onto the swing. It is fitted with a torsion spring to reduce the weight and instructions showing how to lift and lower the ramp to prevent back injury.
Rebecca Hackshaw
Public Relations Officer
Redcliffe City Council
To request a Liberty Swing CD or for further information about how your organization can provide a Liberty Swing for the disabled in your community please contact Andrew Whitford.
Telephone: (626) 585-8006 or Email: awhitford@libertyswingusa.com
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