AgdaPkt 2016-09-12 Closed and Joint SA PFA

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REPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager September 12, 2016 SUBJECT Agreement between the City of Redwood City and the Magical Bridge Foundation RECOMMENDATION By motion, approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement between the City of Redwood City and the Magical Bridge Foundation for fundraising, design consultation, and community outreach efforts related to a new Magical Bridge Playground BACKGROUND Though the City of Redwood City follows strict playground standards provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we have found that these standards often fall short of full inclusion for the population with an array of various disabilities. Nearly 20% of our population is living with a disability, and yet playgrounds are still not designed to meet the unique needs of everyone in our community. Ten percent of those with disabilities are physically affected, while those with autism, sensory challenges, cognitive and developmental issues, and many other differences make up the other 90%. To learn more about innovative playgrounds, staff from the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department (PRCS) and PRCS Commissioners visited the Magical Bridge Playground at Palo Alto’s Mitchell Park. Opened in April 2015, the Magical Bridge Playground is heralded as the nations’ most innovative and inclusive playground as it is specifically designed to address the complex needs of the entire population living with a disability. Together, we met with the co-founders of the Magical Bridge Foundation and learned about their vision, the concepts for the specially designed zones, their community engagement process, donor outreach, and learnings from their initial project. We found that building a caring and accepting community benefits everyone, and a park and playground is a powerful place to start. When given the chance to play side by side inclusively, children with disabilities enjoy a lifetime of greater acceptance by their peers, balanced and satisfying relationships, and show marked progress behaviorally. They also improve their social skills, motor strength, self-control, and self-esteem. The benefits for children without disabilities are also profound. They develop a reduced fear of human differences accompanied by increased awareness and personal principles. They learn to form warm and caring relationships through increased confidence and 6.1.N. - Page 1