‘This is exactly what they need’: Cupertino all-inclusive playground welcomes everyone

CUPERTINO RESIDENT ALICIA SCHOBER got teary-eyed at the opening of a new, all-inclusive playground at Jollyman Park earlier this month. It would have provided another outlet for her son’s sensory needs if it had been available when he was growing up.

As soon as the playground’s gate opened on June 13, children, adults and older people rushed in to hop on the spherical spinner, scale the blue climbing tower and kick their feet on the swings. The playground is a first for Cupertino and was built for people of all ages and abilities — and is the newest addition in Santa Clara County’s quest to uplift accessibility for its more than 170,000 residents with disabilities, according to 2023 American Community Survey data.