I'm guessing you mean barrier-free in "first life"?

;D nmw

ps: It might help if you described the types of barriers you most focused on. A cat wearing gloves? ;D

Here are some wild treehouses! Of course, only the bottom one would come close to matching what I think the camp would like, but the others sure are amazing!

ok, so I'm guessing "barrier-free" does not mean that all handicaps should be overcome (e.g. people who have difficulty climbing stairs would still be exposed to that "barrier"?)

Hey, Norbert,

I've actually got to research the implications of using the term "barrier-free". I think it is pretty well defined by some deparment of the US government. It's just been a couple of years since I did hands on work with playgrounds so I've forgotten the details.

I do remember once seeing a TV piece on a "barrier-free" playground that was sitting on top of an old tree stump, and, thus, pretty low to the ground. The children in wheelchairs could roll up a ramp in the back with a lot of ease.

I would think you would need some barriers to keep kids from falling out!

please sign me up for build day! :D

Forever Young Treehouses offer many resources to navigate the process of building a universally accessible treehouse.

Christina, I just fell off my chair laughing!

Thanks for the link, Anne Marie. I'll check it out. Build day should be pretty cool on this one. Wonder if I can get the orangutans from Zoo Atlanta to help with the hard-to-reach spots?

Really excited about creating an experience for these kids that they might not get to have otherwise. I remember the sense of magic that we used to get as kids in a treehouse or fort.

PS- I bet the term "universally accesible" is better than "barrier free." :-)

I've promised the two youngest boys a couple nights at the Out and About Treesort & Treehouse Institute of Arts and Culture in Takilma, Oregon this summer. You might check with them regarding some of the possible barrier free builds.

you'll like this cynthia: forever young has a great site about accessible treehouses and they have a goal of a treehouse in every state by the end of 2008. you just might have scored a big partner! call today ;)

[whoops - cross-posted with amb!]

Hey, Lars... great minds, and all that! :-)

Very, very cool website, Mark. Boy, would I love to go to that workshop!

I love getting involved in projects that lead me to learn new things. It might be really interesting to see if some folks at Georgia Tech might be interested in helping design this treehouse. All of the issues that need to be faced are right up their alley.

OK, so making it "wheelchair accessible" apparently is one of the barriers you wish to overcome (that wasn't clear to me before).

Which other barriers do you hope this treehouse will overcome? (e.g. going with Christina's example, how about providing some kind of "access" for people with visual impairments?) I think you will be far better off if you know what it is you mean by "medically fragile".

Lars and AMB -- nice find(s)!

:D nmw

Cynthia, instead of a mural in Gulu, perhaps the mark you're eventually meant to leave in Northern Uganda is a treehouse at Opok Farms someday... so many kids in N. Uganda have missing limbs, so it could be fun to create one that's built with that in mind.

Christina,

You can't imagine how much I'd love to build a treehouse in Northern Uganda. I ran across a quote of yours the other day:

What I believe is that there is no amount of money that can meaningfully restore the lives and the childhoods that have been lost to Uganda's civil war in the North. The world cannot heal the scars of these children and their families with a financial band-aid. My feeling is that the best anyone can do to help Northern Uganda's people, and especially the forgotten children, is to help create new memories and life experiences that can outshine the horrors of the past.

Such an inspiration!

Norbert,

I know exactly what "medically fragile" means. I've been working in this area since 1995. What I don't know yet, and won't know until I meet with the folks at the camp, is what they want their treehouse to provide.

Here is a listing of the camps to be held at Camp Twin Lakes this year alone so you can get a clearer idea of what challenges the campers face:

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

WOW! I am so LOVING this. I have a treehouse fantasy/fetish - call it what you will...thanks Cynthia for pointing me over here.

You may also want to look at the vast "small houses" stuff out there... http://www.resourcesforlife.com/ groups/smallhousesociety/resourc es.htm#smallhouseplans/

and in particular I remember being fascinated by this guy's tiny houses and his environment-friendly philosophy... http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/ . This site has some terrific resources, too. I bet he would be an AMAZING partner as well!

And also some very cool treehouses at http://www.treehouse-company.com/. I like the Forever Young site, too. Actually, looking at their ramps was reminding me of our Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge http://www.njskylands.com/odswam p.htm - there are lots of raised walkways throughout - I know there's swampland in GA...perhaps another partner/resource for the ramp development and building?

And then there's homeschooling in the treehouse... http://grandoakstreehouse.homest ead.com/Grandoakstreehouse.html/

Count me in for the build, too! And anything else I can do to help...

And may I suggest perhaps a charity box fundraiser for the project? ;-)

Kids could draw "my treehouse" picts on the boxes...oh the places they'll go!!

Thanks for the great resources, Michelle. I'll let you know what they say about fundraising and about when we'll have the build.

Sure thing, Cynthia!

I was thinking today how cool it would be to decorate the treehouse with a Peace Tiles mural...

:-)

me too - tiles composed of leaves and other natural materials combined with nice earthy tones and splashes of highlighting color ;)

That reminds me of one of the Peace Tiles I made in Canton.

And also one that Deb made, too:

how lovely! thank you for sharing :) maybe you want to upload one or two to swap online?

I would definitely...but John Stone has my 4 tiles from Canton...what's doin' with those?

That I do not know my dear - this wasn't exactly clear to me at the beginning and I think John would like to get them out in the world - we need to pick up on discussion with him around how!

PeaceTiles in the treehouse would be wonderful! When I talk to the Camp director next week I'll tell him about it and he can talk to the various camp groups about it. At the very least I can do them in my art classes at sickle cell camp!

Cynthia Gentry said:

Here is a listing of the camps to be held at Camp Twin Lakes this year alone so you can get a clearer idea of what challenges the campers face

This is great Cynthia -- now the next step (IMHO) would be to first elimate health conditions which by themselves have no "accessibility issues" (for example, people/kids with type 1 diabetes itself has no limitations in this regard, but people with viual impairment probably do have such "accessibility issues"). Then, I would list which "accessibility issues" need to be resolved for each group which has such issues.

MARCH

2-4 Camp Sunshine Teen for teens with cancer

16-18 Camp STARS Family for families that have experienced a loss through death

30-April 1 Camp Kudzu Family for children with type I diabetes and their families

APRIL

13-15 Camp Wannaklot Family for children with hemophilia and other inherited blood disorders

20-22 Camp Sunshine Weekends for teens, siblings and families of children with cancer

27-29 Camp Sunshine Weekends for teens, siblings and families of children with cancer

29 Camper Family Open House

MAY

4-6 Camp Hope for adults with cancer

4-6 CVI Retreat for children and youth with visual impairments

11-13 Toni's Camp Retreat for youths and adults with developmental disabilities

27-June 1 Camp Braveheart for children with heart defects and heart transplant recipients

27-June 1 Camp CADI for girls who have been sexually abused

JUNE

3-8 Camp Breathe Easy for children with asthma

10-15 Camp Kudzu for children living with type I diabetes

17-23 Camp Sunshine Teen for teens with cancer

24-30 Camp Sunshine for children with cancer

JULY

1-6 Camp High Five for children who are HIV affected

1-6 Camp ESP for youth and young adults with developmental disabilities

8-13 Camp TBI - To Be Independent for children with acquired brain injuries

8-14 Camp Independence for children with kidney disorders and transplants

15-20 CCFA Camp Oasis for children with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis

15-20 MCG Children's Medical Center's Camp Rainbow for children with cancer and rare blood disorders

22-28 Camp Horizon for children who have been abused and/or neglected

22-27 Camp Wannaklot for children with hemophilia

29-August 3 Camp Walk 'N Roll for children with muscular dystrophy

AUGUST

4-9 Camp New Hope for children with sickle cell disease

5-9 Camp Infinity - for Families Of Children Under Stress

10-12 Camp Joint Venture for children with rheumatoid arthritis

10-12 Kate's Club Retreat for children who have lost a parent or sibling

17-19 FOCUS Under the Stars Weekend - Families Of Children Under Stress

24-26 Camp Sunshine Sibling for siblings and families of children with cancer

SEPTEMBER

14-16 Second Chance Family Weekend for children with solid organ transplants and their families

21-23 Camp Horizon Leadership Development

21-23 Atlanta Area School for the Deaf for children with hearing impairments

28-30 Camp Wannaklot Family for children with hemophilia and their families

OCTOBER

5-7 Camp Sunshine Weekends for teens, siblings and families of children with cancer

12-14 Camp Sunshine Weekends for teens, siblings and families of children with cancer

19-21 Remember the Sunshine for families who have lost a child to cancer

26-28 Camp Kudzu Family for children with type I diabetes and their families

NOVEMBER

2-4 Camp STARS for children who have lost family members

9-11 Camp Twin Lakes Teen Summit

16-18 Camp Sunshine Teen for teens with cancer