Opportunity Village attraction Sean’s Park meant to be “life-learning environment”

The phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” is embodied in many of the amenities found in Opportunity Village’s latest attraction, Sean’s Park.

Several governmental and community members supported the creation of the park, designed for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Sean’s Park, at Opportunity Village’s Engelstad Campus, 6050 S. Buffalo Drive, provides a fun learning experience to its clients and their families. Malcolm Hunt, playground consultant for Creative Play Recreation, said the facility is meant to be a “life-learning environment,” while promoting inclusive play.

The 2.5 acres that the park sits on were donated by Clark County, as well as a $2 million grant to fund the project. Many of the full-grown trees were donated by Wally Besuden, a Las Vegas resident, and transported to the park by Star Nursery. Another $2 million was donated by private donors, including Mike and Patti Morrissey, Opportunity Village board members and parents of Sean Patrick Morrissey, an artist for Opportunity Village and the park’s namesake.

A stop light and crosswalk lead into the park, located across the campus parking lot, which Opportunity Village marketing director Marty Wood said was added to allow its clients to practice crossing the street safely. Inside the park, the sidewalk is divided like a road to teach the clients — known as OVIPs — to stay on one side of the road. The park also includes a garden, which the organization uses to teach OVIPs how to plant, water and cultivate a garden.

“Everything that they have at the park, they are trying to use twice,” Hunt said.

Near the entrance are instruments such as drums, xylophones and an interactive music game. Hunt said the drums also are texturized to satisfy the curiosity of people with autism.

“Autistic children need little holes and little environments — like the igloo that we have at the park — they like to be there, but not be seen so they hide in the little igloo,” he said.

The park also features a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, playground, Sway Fun Glider and swing, which Hunt expects will allow able-bodied family members to interact with their siblings by having to push the ride for the person seated, or do the activity together.

“Someone with a wheelchair would never be able to find this anywhere else,” Mike Morrissey said.

The communication tubes in the playground are also an important feature for Opportunity Village’s quieter clients.

“My son Sean is social, but he’s not a talker. But if you got him to do this, he would talk,” he said. “You give him a microphone, then he’ll talk. Otherwise, he doesn’t, so these things are important to get them to express themselves.”

Before the park, Mike Morrissey said their clients — who hold jobs through Opportunity Village — did not have a place where they could take a break, get away and play.

“This gives them a chance to get out, get some sunshine, get some fresh air and just socialize,” he said. “A lot of them after work go home and they really have no one else to hang out with. Here, they can develop relationships with all of their pals.”

Visit opportunityvillage.org.

To reach View intern reporter Rocio Hernandez email rhernandez@viewnews.com or call 7012-387-5233. Find her on Twitter: @rociohzz.