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Tree Houses for Everyone

By Tiffany Sommers

Tree houses are great places to play with friends or even just to sit and dream. But for some kids, tree houses are only that--a dream. Many kids have never been in a tree house, because they have disabilities that prevent them from climbing. Bill Allen and Phil Trabulsy decided to make these kids' dreams come true. In 1998, Allen and Trabulsy started Forever Young Treehouses, a nonprofit group that creates tree houses that everyone can enjoy.

The Vermont-based organization designs tree houses that kids with disabilities can easily explore. Long wheelchair ramps let kids get into the house without having to climb a single branch.

Chris Madden, 11, and Kristen Messer, 17, had a chance to visit a tree house for the first time last week. "It was so cool," Chris told TFK. "It was amazing how big it was and how I could get around so easily."

Kristen agrees. "It was really great having a tree house that I could get into without any help," she says.

Forever Young Treehouses gets neighborhoods involved in building the houses. Much of the material is donated by local businesses. Volunteers help with the construction. Allen believes that the projects help to create communities. "It is a way to form friendships between kids with disabilities and kids without," he says.

So far, Allen's organization has built eight tree houses in the United States. Their goal is to build "one in every state by 2008." This month, a new tree house in Burlington, Vermont, will welcome visitors. Peter Clavelle, the city's mayor, is thrilled with the new addition to Burlington. "Many people face barriers," he says. "But this tree house gets rid of some of those barriers. This is a house where the doors are open to everyone."

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