Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy and alumna Marla Davis MSOT ’16, recently supported the design process of an inclusive playground in Elizabethtown Borough, which will provide a space for children of varying physical, cognitive, and sensory needs a chance to play. The completed project is the latest impact that Davis has made on her surrounding community as she has consulted on nearly 15 playgrounds.
“As an alumna, Etown’s Educate for Service motto has been a part of my educational journey and now career,” Davis said. “My Etown education gave me the tools I needed to previously bring an inclusive playground to my home community of Quarryville, Pa., and now I am able to carry that service out on a larger scale.”
Her most recent playground project, Elizabethtown Borough Community Park, includes various components for inclusivity, including a communication board, ramps on play equipment, and equipment with back supports. The playground also includes items with sensory components, including a cozy dome for children who need decreased sensory input. Blue Adirondack chairs are provided for parents and guardians to sit and watch their children play — the same chairs that sprinkle Etown’s campus.
The entire playground features poured-in-place rubber surfacing, which is easier to navigate for children with assistive devices like wheelchairs or walkers.
“Play is an integral part of the developmental process for children, and so many skills are learned or refined on a playground,” Davis said. “Every child deserves to have the opportunity to participate.”
Davis started consulting on playgrounds when her home community, Quarryville, went through the process of purchasing a new playground. She helped complete grant proposals and find generous donors through the community to create an inclusive, universally designed playground. Other communities noticed and asked Davis for help.
Davis’ level of involvement differs with each project. She often reviews designs and adds additional considerations focused on inclusivity. She’ll also meet with municipalities and stakeholders to write reports highlighting design benefits.
Davis partners with a recreation company to provide her services. She has also lent her time and expertise through extensive service work, recently volunteering to design and organize a sensory room for a nonprofit in Quarryville.
At Etown, Davis mentors graduate research groups whose research has focused on various aspects of inclusive playground design.
“Throughout the Occupational Therapy program, we discuss occupational justice and barriers to participating in meaningful occupation,” Davis said. “This is one way I can contribute at a community and population level to decreasing barriers to participation to ensure that all children are able to access playgrounds to participate in their main occupation of play.”
