Olivia Bloomfield, a Shawnee Mission student and Leawood resident, made a lasting impact on the Kansas City community in her 10 years of life.
- Born with congenital muscular dystrophy, Bloomfield spent much of her free time advocating for inclusive playgrounds in the metro because, as she told the Post nearly a year ago, “everybody deserves a chance to play.”
- Bloomfield died on July 5, but her legacy continues on with the Olivia Bloomfield Foundation, started by her family in the wake of her passing.
About the foundation: Bloomfield’s parents, Sara and Matt, say the foundation will focus on partnerships with organizations like Variety Kansas City that aim to improve accessibility and inclusion.
- Matt said this could mean accessibility and inclusion at schools, local governments and more — not just playground-related projects.
- Another focus of the foundation is to fund medical research for congenital muscular dystrophy, he said.
- The foundation also hopes to improve research, as well as discovering new therapies and medicines to help improve the lives of children with congenital muscular dystrophy.
The future: Matt and Sara said one avenue they’re exploring is how to develop an “Olivia Bloomfield certification” for buildings structures.
- While no details are currently set, Sara said they’ve spoken with architects about how to certify that buildings — particularly in older parts of cities across the nation, which tend to be more inaccessible — are accessible for people with disabilities, like Olivia, who traveled in a motorized wheelchair.
- Sara said the details of this effort, like the foundation itself, are still in the works.
Key quote: “Certain stores still have one small step in — most of us don’t even notice when we open the door and take a step up,” Matt said. “For somebody in a power or manual wheelchair, people in walkers or somebody with other sorts of mobility devices, it’s either completely inaccessible or very challenging. Those might seem like little things, but to somebody that wants to be better, it really makes them feel excluded.”
How to get involved: Currently, the best way to get involved is by donating to the Olivia Bloomfield Foundation. A link to donate can be found here.
- Sara said she and Matt are working on developing future opportunities, but the foundation is still in its infancy.
- In the meantime, Sara said, people who are inspired by Olivia’s story and want to make changes can start by taking a look around themselves.
- People can start asking questions about whether a space is accessible to all, whether it be a park or a building, she said.
What else they’re saying: “When you see somebody that looks different, make an effort to say hello and get to know them and understand them,” Sara said. “It makes a whole world of difference. One of the things I think people teach their children is not to stare. Instead, they should teach their children to say hello and to embrace differences.”
