"Our motto is everybody plays:" St. Francis mother working to create an all abilities playground

ST. FRANCIS (WITI) -- Most parents don't think twice about taking their kids to the playground to swing and play, but there's a select group of kids who never get that chance. A St. Francis mother is working to change that.

"Our motto is everybody plays," Jocelyn Borzick said.

Whether it's being pushed on a swing, or whizzing down a slide, Borzick says playing on a playground is an intricate part of childhood. Borzick wants all children to be able to play together, and she's launched an effort inspired by her son, Logan.

"Logan has friends in this community in wheelchairs and I realized there was nothing for them to play on," said Borzick.

With the sand and curbs, children in wheelchairs are unable to navigate the terrain on playgrounds, and the equipment can prove challenging.

"It's not conducive for a lot of children," Borzick said.

Borzick hopes to turn these obstacles into opportunity. She contacted a business who helped her create the "St. Francis All Abilities Playground," which offers features to aid wheelchairs and walkers, accommodate sensitivity issues, and reduce safety concerns.

"Our playground is going to have poured in place rubber and it's going to be flush with the ground so there is no lip or like step to get up in. We are also going to have a wheelchair swing, zip lines, musical instruments. We are going to have a fence all around," Borzick said.

"It will take a lot of dollars, but hopefully if everybody gives a little we can do a lot," Cori Maki said.

The project costs approximately $400,000.

"We've been working for about a year and so far we earned about $28,000 completely grassroots. We've had fundraisers," Maki said.

It's a big investment -- not only monetary, but also in the children's lives.

"It's so very important to have inclusiveness with children of special needs and regular children so they can work together and understand each other. It will help them grow and mature functionally and socially and it would really be a great thing," Borzick said.

The goal is to have the St. Francis All Abilities Playground built by 2016. Several fundraisers have been held, and more are planned for the future.