New wheelchair swing installed in south Jackson park

JACKSON, Tenn. — A new piece of equipment is bringing more inclusion to one local park. A swing made specifically for those in wheelchairs has been added to Malesus Park on Highway 18 in south Jackson.

Executive Director of the Jackson Recreation and Parks Department, Tony Black says Mayor Scott Conger saw wheelchair accessible swings in another city and recommended adding them to parks here in Jackson.

Black says the department put together the swings and installed them, but a contractor needed to be brought in to build a fence around the swing.

He says the law requires the swing to be kept separate from the rest of the playground, so that people understand it’s not for everyone to use.

“There are 8 million disabled Americans in the south. 1.5 million live in Tennessee and we think it’s very important that we have recreational amenities that are accessible for them so that they can enjoy a swing like this,” said Black.

This is the second wheelchair accessible swing to be installed in Jackson. The first one was installed at North Park, next to Gabriel’s Garden.

The city plans to have two more installed at other parks soon.

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