VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, any new playground built or renovated after 2012 should be ADA accessible, meaning the space should provide a range of options for children with and without disabilities.

Some parks, however, are still not up to date, and that’s when people like Everyday Hero Constance Jones step up and speak out for equality in the community.

Affectionately known as “Mama C” by those closest to her, Jones lives by the principles that children are our future.

Those beliefs helped give birth to a nonprofit she runs focused on creating inclusive playgrounds since 2016, Children R Our Future of Volusia County.

“Volusia County is my heart ‘cause I’m from here, and my kids were born and raised here,” Jones said. 

She often spends days surveying old parks in the county for potential upgrades, bringing with her instructions on how to build a park.

Joined by her committee, they gather and brainstorm how they can have a positive impact on their community.

She’s focused on enhancing the James Ormond Park at the moment.

“And when I was getting ready to retire, I said, ‘OK, what are you going to do with your life?’ I don’t know what retirement is like,” Jones said. “I’ve worked since I was a little girl. So I decided I’m going to bring my legacy out into Volusia County.”

For 17 years, she worked for the Department of Children and Families, and before that, she was a nurse.

For the James Ormond play space, she will attend a county meeting and share how the parks can be more inclusive. That might call for implementing ramps for wheelchairs or building a cover over the park to provide shade.

“I can see already the rust over on the swings over here,” she said, while walking around the park and taking pictures to document her surroundings.

The problem this Everyday Hero runs into is just how long these changes can take. Transforming James Ormond Park, for example, could run about five years.

She said she’s hoping with more support from the county, she can bring in the resources needed to speed up the process.

“They have all this new eco-friendly, spongy surface where you can just zip around,” Jones said. “Whether you’re walking, running, in a wheelchair, or on crutches. This (the mulch on which she stood), you sink into.”

Jones said her goal is to make sure no child feels left out when they come to a playground like this.

It’s what drives her every day, and it’s why she won’t stop using her voice until each park in the county meets ADA guidelines.

“And with that, I’m going to leave this serenity and hope it will all come about,” Jones said.