Dwell

Washing Away Barriers at Morgan’s Inspiration Island

“Experts are good, but we wanted to hear from the people who were going to use the park.”
Gordon Hartman, founder

Bella Edwards is only nine, but she knows better than most what it’s like to live with limitations. When she was diagnosed at birth with spina bifida, bilateral hip dysplasia, severe clubfoot, and a malformation in her cerebellum, her doctors weren’t optimistic about her prognosis. But to watch her wheel herself around Morgan’s Inspiration Island in San Antonio, Texas, is to see only a bubbly third grader having fun.

Sue Chevalier Idskou, Bella’s grandmother and guardian, estimates she’s made the 100-mile round-trip journey from their home to Morgan’s at least 20 times

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Dwell

Dwell 3 min read
The Circuitous Journey of an Early Prototype for U.S. Affordable Housing
The Aluminaire House started with a small budget and a big dream. Architects A. Lawrence Kocher (6, right), a longtime Architectural Record editor, and Albert Frey (6, left), a former apprentice of Le Corbusier, designed the full-scale model as a cas
Dwell 2 min read
Room to Grow
After sharing 10 apartments in 10 years, Los Angeles couple RJ Guillermo and Francis Aquino were ready to settle into a home and start a family. They adopted their son, Jordan, in July 2021, and as they made plans to adopt Jordan’s infant sister, all
Dwell 6 min read
Modern World
When you’re dreaming of ways to really level up your space, you often ask questions with an obvious answer: Do I need a wine fridge? Shouldn’t my shower have half a dozen sprayers? That answer of course is usually, for logistical reasons, no. But it’

Related Books & Audiobooks