Our KAT6 community is made up of many dedicated parents who advocate tirelessly for their loved ones. Recently, Kerrie, mother of a child diagnosed with KAT6A syndrome, was able to make a positive impact in her UK neighborhood for children with disabilities. Due to Kerrie’s perseverance, a playground in her local community is now more inclusive.

Kerrie says:

“We have a local park we take Woody to quite often. As he grew, we realized there were less and less facilities for him to use. As I visited more parks around Manchester, I noticed there wasn’t really any accessible playground equipment for children with disabilities.

This really upset me as a mother. Woody loves the swing and I strongly feel that play areas should be inclusive for all children.

I contacted the local council and didn’t get anywhere for a long time, but I wasn’t going to let it rest and eventually I met with a member of staff. We met at the park that we often visit with Woody and I asked her to have a look around. She agreed the equipment did not provide ample opportunities for children with disabilities and it wasn’t good enough.

She assured me she would do something about it and that other parks in the area would also be assessed. It took three years but we now have a swing for Woody and other children to use. I will continue working alongside the local council to ensure they follow through in their mission to provide more inclusive playground equipment for our children.”

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