Vancouver children with disabilities who want to play baseball now face fewer obstacles thanks to the opening of a new, fully accessible field.
“It’s just so rewarding for families because they just already face so many challenges and barriers that to come out and have something to play and be fun is really important and integral, I think, in their development,” parent Corrina Pitacco told CTV Vancouver.
The Hillcrest Park baseball diamond has been overhauled to meet the needs of kids who play Challenger Baseball, a program that provides children with disabilities a chance to participate in the sport.
The project was a partnership between the league Variety Children’s Charity, the Jays Care Foundation --the charitable arm of the Toronto Blue Jays-- and the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation.
These partners raised a total of $280,000 for the new field.
It is the first fully accessible baseball diamond in B.C. The field includes artificial turf that wheelchairs can travel on and has no raised obstacles, making it safe for everyone.
“Vancouver’s not the best weather for baseball sometimes, so to have a facility like this where disadvantaged children that have that are playing Challenger baseball come play with safety, with security,” Vancouver parks board commissioner Casey Crawford. “They can enjoy the game just as much as their able-bodied peers can and it’s pretty amazing.”
The field isn’t just for Challenger Baseball. A raised mound and bases can be put in for other leagues and teams.
Challenger Baseball was first established in 1992.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Christina Heydanus
