Parents and disability advocates urged the City Council Committee on Housing and Community Development on March 4 to ensure Somerville’s upcoming playground projects include the right types of accessible swings and a sustainable maintenance plan.

Speakers at the committee meeting said accessible play features must do more than meet the Americans with Disabilities Act’s minimum: families asked the city to pick swings that provide trunk support and full-body seating for children with low muscle tone or medical fragility. Multiple parents said the commonly installed hard-plastic bucket swings are unsafe or unusable for some children and recommended models such as the “Jen Swing” or a padded, harness-style swing with adjustable recline and leg support.

Holly Simeone, chair of the city’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities, thanked public-space staff for consulting with advocates and said commissioners want to be involved early in design for the Kennedy School playground, which the city described as its first fully inclusive schoolyard. Simeone and other speakers emphasized long-term maintenance: several advocates said playgrounds that were accessible at installation later became unusable when surfacing, ramps or pathways deteriorated. Simeone urged the council to fund maintenance as a specific budget line so accessibility is preserved.

Parents and advocates asked the city to provide a variety of swing types so families can choose the feature that meets a child’s needs. Shruti Allen, a parent of a child with Down syndrome, explained that children with low muscle tone require trunk support to use swings safely. Advocates proposed installing more than one accessible swing style at Kennedy so the playground can serve children with different needs.

City staff and the public-space team said they are coordinating with the commission and other stakeholders. The committee heard that procurement will require certified, safety‑rated equipment and that staff are still collecting feedback on preferred models. Councilors said they plan to pursue budget language to secure maintenance funding and asked staff to keep the Commission for Persons with Disabilities and parent advocates involved in design and procurement.

No formal vote was taken. The committee kept the item in committee for further work and encouraged staff to return with vendor options, cost estimates and a plan for maintenance funding.