SPANISH FORK, Utah — Saturday, Spanish Fork opened Adventure Heights, the city's first all-abilities park.
The city met with families with children who have special needs to design the park to fit their needs.
"We invited 30 families, those with special needs, to come into the design process," Spanish Fork City spokesman Nick Porter said. "We asked them the question: 'What do you miss when you go to the park? What's not there that you need?'"
For Lealofi Inoke's daughter Sabrina, who was born with a rare brain condition, a trip to the park meant she had to watch from the sidelines as her brothers played. Now, with Adventure Heights, Sabrina is part of the action and can play together with her family.
"Being able to walk through those gates, we literally leave the world out there," Inoke said. "We come in and this park is made for our family."
The park is the first of its kind not only in Spanish Fork, but for the Wasatch Front as a whole.
"There might be six of these across the country, that are actually all abilities parks and not just playgrounds," said Dale Robinson, the parks and recreation director for Spanish Fork City.
"This doesn't exist in the world outside these gates, and it's life changing," Inoke said.
Spanish Fork parks officials say the park will be open everyday from 9 a.m to dusk. They invite families from all over the Wasatch Front to come and utilize the space they have created for the community.
