An Illinois mom is raising awareness of inclusive design by sharing a video of her eight-year-old daughter enjoying a wheelchair-accessible swimming pool.
Katrina Placzek posted a vlog on YouTube of her daughter Dallas using a special pool-friendly wheelchair at Tiff's Place, a wheelchair-accessible vacation home located in Chuluota, Florida, about 22 miles east of Orlando.
Placzek asked her followers in a related Instagram video post if they had ever seen an aquatic wheelchair at an accessible pool. She explained in captions overlaid on the video that they do not float and can be submerged. She added that they have locking wheels, an anti-tip design, and a seatbelt for safety. She concluded her message by saying that she loves this accessibility.
Placzek impressed with the wheelchair design at Tiff's Place
Placzek told "Good Morning America" in an interview that she and her family were impressed by how inclusive the design of the unique wheelchair was. She noted that traditional wheelchairs feature parts that can rust easily when exposed to water.
Placzek recalled that they had never seen a wheelchair like that, as it was made out of PVC. She said that they sat Dallas in there, and it just had a ramp. She added that when it gets deep, there is a speed bump at the bottom, so users know not to go where it drops.
The mom of four said that it was cool to see the entire house was designed with wheelchair users in mind. Dallas was born premature at 28 weeks and suffered from quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy. According to her mother, that condition affects her legs and arms, making it hard for her to walk.
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Placzek shows daughter's journey in "Dreaming with Dallas" page
The condition also requires young Dallas to navigate the world differently, which her mom hopes to shine a light on through social media platforms. Placzek said she started sharing her daughter's story and life on her Instagram and YouTube pages after one pivotal experience at their local park with a wheelchair swing.
The family had stopped visiting parks with Dallas before that memorable experience because there were not any accessible features for her to enjoy, according to Southern Living. Seeing and using the wheelchair swing, however, changed everything.
Through her "Discover With Dallas" page, Placzek strives to center her daughter's journey and her work as an actress and model. Instead of being a parent of a child with cerebral palsy, she decided to make this the focus.
Placzek said the important thing about her social media accounts is that she makes sure they represent the disabled community and not necessarily just about her story. Her wheelchair-accessible swimming pool posts have since taken off, and comments have been mostly positive.
