FLUVANNA COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- A living community moving toward an inclusivity playground this morning for the first wheelchair-accessible playground in Central Virginia. 

Lake Monticello Community Foundation will move toward an inclusive playground after a family brought it to their attention that the current playground isn’t accessible to everyone.

“We were inspired by a mom in a wheelchair who said she couldn’t get her kids, take her kids to a playground because the surface didn’t accommodate her wheelchair but also if it wasn’t fenced in she couldn’t take care of her kids and make sure that they were safe,” Nancy Parsons, President of The Lake Monticello Community Foundation

This opened the community’s eyes that this is a concern that could lead to an emergency and is excluding too many people.

“There are over 470 kids in Fluvanna County who are identified as special needs. Many of them live here at the lake. So, we felt that this was a worthy endeavor,” Parsons says.

Since 2019 the community foundation has been working to raise over 100 thousand dollars for an all-inclusive playground.

And on Friday the foundation finally announced construction will begin immediately to start renovations towards a fenced-in, leveled grounded playground with new play sets that are wheelchair accessible. 

“We’re converting this lovely space, it’s an existing playground. We’re going to pour a rubberized surface that won’t only accommodate people with walking aids or wheelchairs but also minimize any injuries from falls,” Parsons says.

A mother of a special needs child says this will improve the relationship between her three boys.

“I love the idea of being able to bring all of my boys somewhere where we can all pay together,” Hallie Earman, Special needs mother.

This is the first of its kind in Central Virginia. The president of the Lake Monticello Board of Directors says he hopes this encourages more communities to make accessible playgrounds like this.

“It’s going to be an education for people when they see that these children in need are real children,” Larry Henson, President of Lake Monticello Board of Directors 

Earman says she is so thankful her son will have this opportunity to play as he grows up because of this community. 

“To me that says that they want Jack to be able to go to a playground and to play with other kids his age and they want to support my family and others like me,” Earman says.

The foundation hasn’t reached the 100 thousand dollar goal so they are still accepting donations.