Baseball league is trying for a barrier-free diamond

The Loyalist College ball field, where the Challenger Baseball League plays, is not wheelchair-accessible. Photo by Julia Lennips, QNet News

By Julia Lennips

BELLEVILLE – The Challenger Baseball League in Belleville is working toward getting a baseball diamond built for people with disabilities.

Lisa Chesher, the co-ordinator of the league, says she thinks building the diamond is important to the community: “Anyone in a wheelchair or mobility device wants to be just like anyone else. They don’t want barriers in their way, and we want to give them the opportunity to play baseball in a safe, fun environment.”

The Challenger program was created to enable people with disabilities from ages three to 55 to play baseball. The Belleville league had 20 people when it started 30 years ago, and now it’s up to 55. The league plays at the Loyalist College ball field , which isn’t wheelchair accessible.

“I saw how difficult it was for the players who use mobility devices to actually get around on their own,” said Chesher. Since the field is sand and grass, it gets rugged and hard, making it difficult for people to navigate, she explained.

The league has a design for a new field that would have a mostly rubber surface so it won’t get damaged from the elements.  The surface will also make it easier for people with mobility devices to get around. The cost of building it is estimated to be between $400,000 and $600,000. The proposed location of the new field is Parkdale Veterans Park, replacing an existing field.

In the past Chesher has talked to people in the community about building an accessible diamond. The Jays Care Foundation, a program connected with the Toronto Blue Jays to create safe spaces for people to play baseball, has taken over the Challenger Baseball program and is helping develop this type of diamond across the country.

“It was kind of a perfect time, (a) perfect opportunity to do this now while they’re in their new beginnings of this for our community,” Chesher said.

Families and players are very excited about the possibility, she said. Developing skills and independence by having no obstacles in the way will give the players more freedom while playing the game, she added.