Amy Jaffe Barzach

2006 Finalist – Social Category
Age: 45
Hometown: West Hartford, CT

Amy Jaffe Barzach has inspired a movement, rallying tens of thousands of people around the idea that all children, with and without disabilities, deserve and need a place to play because play is an essential component of healthy development for everyone. Her message is simple: children with disabilities have the same passion to play as other children, but traditional playgrounds exclude children with disabilities. After losing her 9-month-old son to spinal dystraphy, Barzach marshaled an army of volunteers to create one of the first universally accessible playgrounds in the country -- a 25,000 square-foot playground in memory of her son, Jonathan. Along with a team of passionate professionals and parents, Barzach co-founded Boundless Playgrounds (www.boundlessplaygrounds.org), the first national non-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create inclusive playgrounds where all children, with and without disabilities, can develop essential skills for life as they learn together through play. There are now more than 100 completed Boundless Playgrounds in 21 states and Canada. These playgrounds are barrier-free, sensory-rich places where children of all abilities enjoy both the fun and the developmental advantages of playtime.