Bakersfield has 59 parks, but only one has a handicap accessible playground. However, that will soon change.
A swing at Central Park near Mill Creek is the only disability friendly piece of equipment in all of the city's parks.
"I noticed there was only one and I wondered why we only had one," said Nicole Ramirez.
Ramirez is the mother of four-year-old Kylie. "She was born with a rare brain malformation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy," said Ramirez.
Because Kylie is confined to a wheelchair, she can't play on an average playground.
"Just because they're special doesn't mean they should be left out," said Ramirez.
In fact, there's only one piece of equipment in all of Bakersfield's 59 city parks that Kylie can enjoy, a swing at Central Park. It was a great addition, but according to Ramirez it's not enough for the more than 18,000 children in Kern County with physical disabilities.
"She's got a great point, and the point is we had a gap in services in our city," said Russell Johnson, Councilman for Ward 7.
Ramirez wants Bakersfield to be more like Los Angeles where there are 17 handicap usable parks.
"It's a big difference, you know. We have one swing for 18,000 and they have, you know, 17 parks," said Ramirez. "It just don't make sense."
Ramirez is getting her wish. According to the Bakersfield City Parks Department, as the city updates parks, they will start to add handicap usable equipment.
"The goal is to take baby steps and put them where we update equipment," said Johnson.
Johnson said this initiative shouldn't cost taxpayers any more money.
"It's things that we are already planning on doing now," said Johnson. "We are just talking about filling in those gaps in services."
A gap, Ramirez's daughter Kylie will no longer fall through.
"Oh, it's going to be awesome," said Ramirez. "I can now take her brothers to the park and she won't be left out anymore."
This first parks to get handicap updates will be Beale Park and Saunders Park in the spring and summer.