Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
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Work Hard, Play Harder Dawn Oates found her life's work in helping disabled children have fun. by scott kearnan PhotograPhy by Patryce bak "Every person has a need for fun," says Dawn Oates, founder of the year- old nonprofit g roup The Play Brigade, sitting in her cozy office building tucked behind her Brookline home. Oates is a dynamo who rif les through paperwork with the speed of a Vegas card dealer, so it's no surprise that, once upon a time, she was a PR powerhouse for marquee names like Goodwin Procter. (She eventually launched her own agency, and was even a contes- tant on NBC's The Apprentice.) But Oates felt that her work lacked purpose. Then her daughter Ha r per was bor n, less t ha n t wo yea rs after Oates gave birth to healthy twins. Harper has incomplete quadriplegia: Her legs are paralyzed, as are portions of her arms and hands. Oates and her hus- band, Justin, found their world shattered. She quickly realized that her greatest task lay ahead: ensuring that her daughter, and other children and adults with disabilities, had a life worth living. Harper can't walk, she can't feed herself—but she ca n sm ile, laugh, a nd k now joy. Oates wondered, Would she ever experience playgrounds or birthday parties, family hikes or school field trips? Harper works hard every day, and her mother's pur- pose became to help her play. Thus was born The Play Brigade, which builds inclusive common spaces and resource net works that allow people of all physical abilities to play together. "To have our child be born with limitations was heartbreaking, but I'm not angry," Oates says. "If a gift came from this, it's that every day I dig into work that I feel passionate about and that helps other people." She started with playgrounds. Harper's local Brookline playground already had a special "bucket swing" for children with disabilities, but Oates wanted more. The Play Brigade is fighting to get all parks to provide swings, slides, and other equipment designed to accommodate kids of all abilities. She joined the Design Review Committee of the town's Parks and Open Space Division, offering advice on how inclusive design can be integrated into public spaces Dawn Oates at home with her daughter Harper, who inspired her to establish The Play Brigade. 70 bostoncommon-magazine.com PEOPLE Spirit of Generosity