It’s heartwarming to see members of a community band together to work on a project for the common good, as Alabaster citizens did recently to break ground on a new handicap accessible playground.

Many of Alabaster’s businesses and private citizens, as well as Gov. Bob Riley, the Shelby County Commission Parks and Recreation Division, the Shelby County Schools system and the city of Alabaster, donated funds and resources to start making this desperately needed playground a reality. Good for them.

Alabaster’s schoolchildren with disabilities will soon have an opportunity to enjoy their childhood on the playground, just like other kids.

With a rubberized surface, wheelchair swing, multiperson swing and more, parents of kids with disabilities won’t have to worry that their children are left out or, worse, unsafe on the school playground.

We appreciate the work of Joyce Bulford, a Thompson Middle bus driver and substitute teacher who noticed that children with disabilities had limited options for recreation. Sometimes all it takes is one person to notice something’s not right and speak up about it.

It may take a little more effort and ingenuity to make a playground appropriate for these special kids, but it’ll be worth it for educators at Thompson Middle School to see smiles on all the kids’ faces.