NE Ohio Playground Elevates Quality of Living for Residents with Developmental Disabilities

Findlay, Ohio

November 16, 2021

Findlay, OH   In 1952, families living in Northeast Ohio who had children with developmental disabilities had limited educational resources to help their children. Over the next decade, the parents from these families would advocate for better schooling opportunities to be made available for those children. The parents petitioned the Hancock County Child Welfare Board to receive funds from the State to support classes. After completing several fundraising efforts across the county, that resulted in passing two levies, the Hancock County Board of Developmental Disabilities opened its doors in 1966.

The school, now locally known as the Blanchard Valley Center, is located in Northern Ohio and home to individuals of all ages providing cradle-to-grave services to those with developmental disabilities. The school’s primary goal is to provide disabled individuals with opportunities for community inclusion, including education, employment, residential, and social. To achieve this goal, the school wanted to revamp its playground to promote physical exercise among students.

image of SYNLawn artificial grass at Blanchard Valley Center Playground for Residents with Developmental Disabilities in Northeast Ohio
image of SYNLawn artificial grass at Blanchard Valley Center Playground for Residents with Developmental Disabilities in Northeast Ohio

Combining Efforts to Complete a Unique, Large-Scale Playground

Working together to complete the unique, 26,000 square foot playground, Amanda Wilkins and her team from SYNLawn Northeast Ohio teamed up with Nic Radel and SYNLawn Ohio Valley. The general contractor in charge of the project and the architect from the school collaborated closely with Mr. Radel on the initial design using SYNLawn’s Project Wizard. After the playground design was complete, the school worked with Ms. Wilkins’s team to complete the installation.

Blanchard Valley Center’s playground combines SYNLawn’s highly durable SYNTipede 343 (ST343) with colorful SYNPlay 48 (TXT48) and marks the first Commercial Playground installation by the NE Ohio team. Amanda’s team exceeded the school’s expectations by working hard to complete the installation requiring 80 rolls of turf, finishing the project in just four weeks.

image of SYNLawn artificial grass at Blanchard Valley Center Playground for Residents with Developmental Disabilities in Northeast Ohio
image of SYNLawn artificial grass at Blanchard Valley Center Playground for Residents with Developmental Disabilities in Northeast Ohio

Serving the Handcock County Community

Blanchard Valley Center has worked hard over the years to serve the community of Handcock County, Ohio. Through its many community outreach programs, the center has developed a network of opportunities that help the developmentally disabled. Some programs include interpersonal skill support, trauma-informed care, and community education regarding developmental disabilities. Thanks to the installation team at SYNLawn Northeastern Ohio, Blanchard Valley Center now has even more space to serve those with developmental disabilities for years to come.

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