All children have the right to experience fun and excitement and be part of society. The best-designed playground is built and accessible to all abilities so they can equally enjoy and explore the fun space however they want.
What is an Inclusive playground? An inclusive playground is designed to meet the needs of all children regardless of their abilities. It allows all children to experience fun, exploration, learning, and social skills development with their playground friends.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- KEY FACTORS OF AN INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND
- STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
- MOST INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUNDS
- BENEFITS OF INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUNDS
- CONCLUSION
- KEY FACTORS OF AN INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND
- Appropriate Surfacing
Surfacing is a crucial factor every playground must have following the regulated standard. In an inclusive playground, surfacing must pass the ADA Standard that allows wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility devices to wheel freely throughout the play area safely.
Inclusive safety surfacing includes:
Play equipment must be easily accessible for climbing, swinging, sliding, and other imaginative play. It must also be accessible for wheelchairs and other mobility devices and transfer quickly between play equipment so children can explore freely through the play area.
Inclusive playground equipment includes;
- Ramps
- Inclusive Slides
- Ground-Level Play Activities
- Sensory Activities
- Inclusive Swings
- Wheel-chair Accessible Equipment
Inclusive Playground embraces different activities that offer unique experiences for children with disabilities, including swings and spinners. It also features play areas stimulating their sensory senses, including musical instruments, panels, water, and sand. These play areas benefit most children with autism and sensory processing disabilities.
- Quiet Space for Social and Emotional Inclusion
Some children need calm zones to be quiet and take a break from active play. This calm zone is essential for children with autism and other developmental disorders who are at high risk of getting overstimulated.
B . STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
The Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) was established to create civil rights laws and set guidelines for playgrounds that are accessible and inclusive for children of all abilities, where they can participate and explore inclusively, fairly, and equally.
ADA Requirements for Inclusive Playground include:
- Accessible routes
- Play equipment
- Ground-Level play equipment
- Sensory Play Opportunities
- Transfer Stations
- Swings and Seatings
- Safety Surfacing
An ADA-compliant inclusive playground promotes children of all abilities to be socially connected to society by playing together with empathy and understanding. Inclusive play invites all children and encourages motor skills development, balance, coordination, and problem-solving skills. Letting all the children, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, with minimal assistance can boost their confidence and self-esteem.
ASTM F1951 is a standard established by the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) focused on playground accessibility for children with disabilities. The standard ensures the safety of all materials used. The playground must be accessible for all children to navigate with their parents or caregivers using mobility devices like wheelchairs and walkers.
ASTM F1951’s key aspects for inclusive playgrounds are stated as follows;
- Surface accessibility testing
- Wheelchair accessibility measurement
- Surfacing stability and firmness testing
- Impact on Inclusive Play
- Slip resistance
ASTM plays a vital role in ensuring children’s safety, regardless of the physical abilities that can make them navigate the playground accessible and with complete safety. With inclusivity, it promotes social interaction between children of all abilities and equal access to all play equipment.
What is the difference between ADA Standards and ASTM F1951?
- ADA Standards focused on providing guidelines for playground accessibility.
While
- ASTM F1951 focused on the safety and testing of the accessibility of the physical playground itself.
When implemented correctly, these two will help build a society where all children of all abilities can play, making the play area more inclusive, social, and fun for everyone.
- MOST INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUNDS
https://youtu.be/_7l4e2aWuVM?si=CajxUWho5QtPhydG
Magical Bridge Playground is in Palo Alto, California, and it is carefully built for all ages and abilities. It is the most innovative and inclusive playground in the US, and eight playgrounds are open, and many more are being developed worldwide. The playground opened in 2015 and is free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the week.
https://youtu.be/6cjA97JvJ0s?si=lGdI5Lq7SjYS4cxt
Jake’s Field of Dreams is a play space in Wentzville, Missouri. It engages children of all ages and abilities in physical, social, and imaginative play. This all-inclusive playground is made possible with the partnership of Little Tikes Commercial and Unlimited Play. The playground is inspired by a boy named Jake, who dreamed of growing up playing sports at an early age and was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Believes that all children, regardless of ability, must experience and have the thrill of being a player.
https://youtu.be/xBwS5iXtXPc?si=1jIQa5nOY2MR2-Cz
Triumph Park in Waukee welcomes children and families of all abilities to learn, play, and grow together. The inclusive playground features age-appropriate activities. This colorful playground has dozens of play features perfect for all abilities and offers a jam-packed fun experience. Triumph Park also has an accessible fishing pier, which attracts anglers who love fishing.
https://youtu.be/yZfHWUy1hv8?si=9nPNVyYjQQcpJwA-
Clemjontri Park in Mclean, United States, offers unique features that make playing accessible to children of all abilities. Admission is free, but there’s a minimal fee for each participant and chaperone for commercial or non-profit group activities. The playground features Carousels, a Train, a Playground, a Liberty Swing, and a Picnic Pavilion.
https://youtu.be/75lyq0ENd4w?si=Up3lybZ5mKA-dOVu
Gordon Hartman owned Morgan’s Wonderland, inspired by his daughter, who has physical and cognitive disabilities. He wanted to create a space where children of all abilities could have excitement and experience the thrilling fun of playing inclusively.
https://youtu.be/8C4TMqJlZyE?si=SU6tP7rM1yOIyg0p
Preston’s H.O.P.E. is a play area that allows children of all abilities to explore, play, and learn. The playground features an Imagination village, Connected houses, a Play Theatre, a Sand Area, and a playground appropriate for preschoolers to school-age children. Prestons are free and open to the public, but you can donate to help keep the playground free for all.
https://youtu.be/mBZy4I5_PKg?si=9d7HQL-Ha4XbIAun
Hadley’s Park was designed by a mother named Shelley Kramm with the help of a non-profit organization for her 8-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy. It opened in 1999 and is now in a different location in Maryland.
https://youtu.be/XBvLkqiiWWo?si=_GI2RPVThm4izL7c
Savannah’s Playground is an inclusive play experience for children of all abilities. It has dozens of unique slides, rides, climbs, swings, games, and play sets that every child enjoys. The playground is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and is open and accessible to the public.
https://youtu.be/7xgmArCquyQ?si=vPm6CTAjEEynBMMl
Hadley’s Haven is a newly opened playground dedicated to a little girl named Hadley Chase Ashby. Due to complications that caused Hadley’s disabilities, she passed away after 2 years of fighting her illness. The playground is inclusive, and children and adults of all abilities can enjoy playing side by side.
- CENTENNIAL PARK
https://youtu.be/4TP-dgxf7xw?si=QlxVDzBr3_QMHhRJ
Madera Parks believes that all children benefit from playing and must experience this kind of learning and social interaction alongside other children of all abilities. It’s a socially inclusive playground in the City of Madera designed to build no boundaries and funded through a low-income incentive program.
- BENEFITS OF INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUNDS
https://youtu.be/Xw3gnytW6uE?si=FbFtZCOXv0i_4Ig6
Sophie Smith shares the importance of accessible playgrounds and how universal design can benefit all children, making the universal playground design a rule, not an exception.
- Foster Social Integration
The first benefit of an inclusive playground is that it lets children of all abilities interact and play with their playground friends, helping them with their social development and self-confidence.
- Encourages Physical Development
The inclusive play equipment designed for diverse abilities will help children develop balance, coordination, and motor skills. It can also build friendship, understanding, and empathy for all children, with or without disabilities.
- Promotes Cognitive and Sensory
Multi-sensory play helps children with disabilities, such as autism or sensory processing disabilities, perform and develop cognitive and motor skills.
- Supports Emotional Well-being
Playing is the easiest way for children to relieve stress. An inclusive playground provides a safe, welcoming environment where all children can build self-confidence, self-esteem, and independence.
- CONCLUSION
An inclusive playground is essential for children with all abilities to unite. The barriers won’t be present, but the fun and learning experience that playing can bring will be limitless. Every child has the right to feel included in society, and the playground, where children usually spend their best memories and develop, is the best foundation for making them feel they belong and are appreciated.
Communities must embrace the need for playgrounds to be accessible to all. Commitment should be practiced so that playing can be truly for everybody, showing empathy, diversity, and inclusion from the earliest stages of childhood.