New Menu Makes Pool Concessions More Accessible

The following article appeared in the Oakwood Register on June 17, 2026.

The concessions stand at Oakwood’s Gardner Pool is more accessible to guests with disabilities this year with the addition of a picture menu. Guests with various speech, communication, visual, and other disabilities can now point to a picture of the food they want, allowing them to order without assistance. 

Oakwood parent Jessica Minor first raised the possibility of a picture menu at the pool. She says, “Our daughter Joy very much wants to be just like her friends and order from the concession stand independently. However, I noticed that she was often misunderstood due to her speech (she was born with Down syndrome and hearing loss and uses speech and ASL to communicate). She also couldn’t read the menu independently. As I anxiously watched her in line, I noticed that other young people also needed parent support to order from the menu. I thought, if there was a picture menu, that would be more inclusive for all of the community and help everyone communicate clearly!”

Oakwood Public Works Director Doug Spitler and members of the Oakwood Inclusion Coalition reached out to SwimSafe Pool Management with the idea. SwimSafe, which operates the concession stand, enthusiastically supported the plan and created the picture menu, which is now available at the concessions counter for anyone to use. The community appreciates this extra effort to ensure that everyone in Oakwood is included in one of the town’s favorite summer traditions!