SAN ANTONIO – After a year of delays, Mitchell’s Landing is finally set to open on Saturday.
After the death of Mitchell Chang, his mother, April Chang, turned her grief into creating a legacy for her child.
That led to the creation of the Mitchell Chang Foundation, through which she raised thousands of dollars to build an inclusive public park in her community.
“It is November 30th at 10 a.m. We are having a huge celebration here at Classen-Steubing Ranch Park at Mitchell’s Landing. And we want everyone to come and celebrate with us because honestly, the public has been wanting this for so long,” she said.
The park, located at 20000 Hardy Oaks Parkway, will be a one-of-a-kind space for children with special needs. Chang said the park goes beyond the required Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for design. A quick tour of the park shows slides with benches at the bottom for children to sit and wait to be transferred back into a wheelchair. The climbing rocks have openings wide enough to fit a standard wheelchair. There’s shade covering the majority of the pirate-themed playground.
“A lot of families don’t realize that, yes, all playgrounds meet ADA standards,” Chang said. “But this park will go beyond the standards. We really hope that this helps other families. And honestly, it’s going to start making other changes in the community because it’s going to start bringing awareness to other families, and it’s going to change children’s perceptions of individuals with disabilities. Normalization starts here.”
Chang said her focus after the opening will be creating a way to maintain Mitchell’s Landing for future generations.
Read also: