Special Needs Programs- Madison Parks and Recreation

09/09/2026

📣 FAMILY WORKSHOP: LEGAL JOURNEYS

Planning for the future can feel overwhelming—but families don’t have to navigate it alone. 💛

Join Madison Parks & Recreation’s Special Needs Program on Thursday, October 15 for our Family Workshop: Legal Journeys, designed to give parents and caregivers practical information, resources, and support for navigating the legal side of caring and planning for a loved one with a disability.

⚖️ Legal Journeys will be joining us to discuss important topics related to special needs law and future planning, with an opportunity for families to learn, ask questions, and better understand the next steps available to them.

And because we know attending a workshop isn’t always as simple as just showing up, we’re working to make the evening a little easier for families:

🌮 Dinner provided by Taco Mama
💛 Respite care available for participants who need support while their caregiver attends
⚠️ Respite care spaces are limited and must be reserved in advance.

Our Family Workshops are part of our commitment to supporting not only individuals with disabilities, but the whole family—by connecting caregivers with information, resources, and community support.

Come enjoy dinner, learn from Legal Journeys, and leave feeling a little more prepared for what comes next.

📅 Thursday, October 15 6:00-7:00
📍 Madison Community Center

Registration is required. Be sure to reserve respite care when registering if your family needs it—we have limited spaces available!

https://www.madisonal.gov/1403/Special-Needs-Caregiver-Programs

09/08/2026

📢 Sensory Friendly Swim Update

Unfortunately, Sensory Friendly Swim is canceled for the month of September. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding! 💙

But we’ll be back in October! 🏊‍♀️✨

Be sure to register for October’s Sensory Friendly Swim at the Dublin Park Indoor Pool. We’re looking forward to welcoming our swimmers and families back for a fun, comfortable morning at the pool!

💦 Registration is open — reserve your spot for October!

09/03/2026

A proud moment for our Special Needs Program! 💙

This week, our Special Needs Program Coordinator had the opportunity to present at the AT Alabama Conference and represent Madison Parks & Recreation on a statewide stage!

Opportunities like this allow us to share experiences from our program, learn alongside other professionals, and be part of larger conversations about accessibility, recreation, and creating meaningful opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families.

We are incredibly proud to see the work happening here in Madison represented beyond our community — and even more grateful for the participants, families, volunteers, partners, and community members who continue to help this program grow.

A huge thank you to AT Alabama for the opportunity to share, learn, and connect! 💙

Pretty cool to see Madison up there! 🥹

09/02/2026

🎉 DEADLINE EXTENDED — AND THE GIVEAWAYS KEEP GROWING! 🎉

More prizes are being added to Ride, Roll & Rally, so we’re giving you more time to get registered and get your name in the drawing!

🚲 Purchase your Ride, Roll & Rally ticket and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of our giveaways donated by some incredible community partners!

Your registration doesn’t just give you a chance to win. It supports the Miracle League of Madison and our goal of creating a place where everyone can play, belong, and experience Joy on Every Base! ⚾💙

📅 Saturday, September 12
📍 Palmer Park
🗺️ Ride, Roll & Rally Stops: 8 AM–3 PM
🎉 Rally Celebration: 4–6 PM

⭐ Registration deadline has been EXTENDED!
⭐ Register today to be automatically entered into the giveaway drawing!
⭐ The more our prize lineup grows, the more winners we’ll have!
⭐️Join us at the Rally for inflatables, activities, and come to dunk your favorite community leaders!

Grab your ticket, join us for an incredible day, and help us get one step closer to bringing the Miracle League of Madison to life.

🎟️ REGISTER TODAY — don’t wait!

https://givebutter.com/2026riderollandrally

09/01/2026

💦 WHO’S READY TO DUNK SOME CITY LEADERS?! 💦

The Rally portion of our Ride, Roll & Rally Community Celebration is coming to Palmer Park from 4–6 PM — and we have some VERY brave people stepping into the dunk tank. 😈

🎯 Two of our brave City Councilmen are taking the plunge…Maura Wroblewski and Kenneth Jackson
📚 Dr. Zinkil & Kelly Ladner from our Special Education team are joining them…
💦 And YOU get the chance to dunk them!

For just $5, you get 3 balls to take your best shot. Whether you’re aiming for the councilmen, the educators, or just hoping to send someone into the water, it’s all for a GREAT cause!

❤️ Every dunk helps us raise funds to create the Miracle League of Madison field at Palmer Park — a place where children and adults of all abilities can play baseball, make memories, and experience the joy of hearing that ball hit the bat and running the bases.

⚾ Joy on every base. That’s what we’re building.

So grab your friends, bring your best throwing arm, and come help us dunk for a cause! 💦⚾

📍 Palmer Park
🕓 Rally: 4–6 PM
🎯 $5 for 3 balls
❤️ All proceeds support the Miracle League of Madison field

Come for the dunk tank. Stay for the mission. Help us put JOY on every base. ⚾❤️

08/31/2026

✨ Still Looking to Join Merrimack Classes in Madison? We’ve Got a Few Spots Left! ✨

Our Merrimack classes at Madison Parks & Recreation are underway, and we still have a few openings for families who are looking for a fun way to get moving, connect, and try something new this fall! 💚

Here’s where we currently have space:

🩰 Happy Dancer-Mondays 4:00 (Ages 13+)
🧘 Happy Yogi-Mondays 5:00 (Ages 13+)
🌱 Happy Sprouts-Tuesdays 4:00 (Ages 3-12)
🌱 Happy Sprouts-Tuesdays 5:00 (Ages 3-12)

Whether your participants loves to dance, wants to try yoga, or enjoys learning and playing with others, there’s still time to join us!

📍 Town Madison Wellness Center
190 Graphics Blvd, Madison, AL

Some classes are getting close to full, so don’t wait too long to grab a spot! 💚

👉 Register through Madison Parks & Recreation and come be part of the fun!
https://www.madisonal.gov/1329/Special-Needs-Programs

08/28/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

Madison Parks & Recreation partners with Can Play, a nonprofit dedicated to creating opportunities for people of all abilities to participate in sports and recreation!

Through this partnership, we’ve been able to bring adaptive athletics to our community in more ways than one:

🏀 Basketball
🏓 Pickleball
⚽ Soccer

And we’re just getting started!

Can Play helps us look at a sport and ask: “How can we make this work for people of all abilities?” That might mean adapting equipment, modifying the activity, providing additional support, and their curriculum offers it all!

The result? More opportunities for participants to learn new skills, build confidence, make friends, be active, and experience the joy of being part of a team. 💙

We’re incredibly grateful for our partnership with Can Play and excited to continue finding new ways to make sports accessible to everyone!

https://can-play.org/

Adapted to Play Our licensed adapted programs are built so children across the nation are able to have barriers removed to their favorite sports.Learn MoreGET STARTED! Learn more about licensing Can Play's programs in your community.Learn MoreH.E.R.S. A barrier-free, low-cost sports program empoweri...

08/26/2026

🎉 Ready to Ride, Roll & Rally, Madison?! 🎉

We’ve lowered registration prices to make it easier for even more of our community to join us on September 12!

And there’s another reason to register early…

Register by August 31 and you’ll be entered to win one of our awesome prizes, including:

🌿 Huntsville Botanical Garden Membership
🍖 Jim ’N Nick’s Gift Basket
🥙 Taziki’s Family Meal Combo Certificate
🎁 Plus more prizes to come!

Grab your family, get your friends together, and come be part of a fun day bringing Madison together — all while supporting the Miracle League of Madison. 💙⚾

🎥 Watch the video to see what Ride, Roll & Rally is all about!

📅 September 12
🎉 Rally Celebration: 4–6 PM at Palmer Park

👇 Register here:
https://givebutter.com/2026riderollandrally?fbclid=IwY2xjawT75cxwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMUdsUTQxck9zRlF2YkdkQ1JzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeDIDsTqRSI0Ky2cSN6ywP6LdQQ5X3IJwtPgBM-3xAhIhskwDcNfTzdG2yB-0_aem_DYCmq8BRbzpL5bvEufJsSw

08/25/2026

We’re hiring! 💙

Our Special Needs Parks & Recreation program is looking for a Seasonal Recreation Aide to join our team and help create fun, meaningful, and inclusive recreation experiences for individuals of all abilities.

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this with them! Learn more about the position and apply here:

This is a seasonal position working up to 29 hours per week depending on department's program needs. The starting pay is $17.29 per hour, based on experience.Position supports the inclusion and participation of individuals with disabilities in Parks and Recreation programs, including camps, sports,...

08/24/2026

Program Spotlight: Social Explorers! 🌟

Back by popular demand! 💙 Social Explorers is our afterschool social club designed for kids ages 6–12 to make friends, build connections, and have fun in a welcoming environment.

We’ve updated our format and now offer monthly registration to keep the fun going throughout the school year! Social Explorers meets Wednesdays from 4:00–5:00 PM, beginning September 9th.

This September, we’ll focus on team challenges, connection, and getting to know one another through a variety of fun activities including games, art, and social activities. 🎨🎲🤝

It’s more than an afterschool social group—it’s a place to make friends, practice social skills, build confidence, and feel like you belong. 💙

📅 Wednesdays | 4:00–5:00 PM
👧🧒 Ages 6–12
📆 Monthly registration
🌟 Starting in September

We’re so excited to bring Social Explorers back! Come make friends, have fun, and explore together!

https://www.madisonal.gov/1329/Special-Needs-Programs