What we do

The all-volunteer Board of Directors has been raising funds since 2012 through individual donations, fundraisers, and grants to build Julie’s Jungle, the first fully accessible public playground in Dutchess County, N.Y.

Access to Julie’s Jungle has offered all children, of all abilities, the opportunity to participate in outdoor physical activities from which they would otherwise be excluded. There are more than 2,500 children with disabilities recorded in Dutchess County, yet there were no fully accessible playgrounds for them to play before Julie’s Jungle was built. Inclusive play provides children – especially those who are often segregated from their peers – a chance to improve their social skills by playing with others. The obvious outcome is their enthusiastic participation in outdoor play. The more subtle, but no less important, outcome is the increased self-confidence that results from participating alongside their able-bodied peers.