Creating a Wheelchair Accessible Playground

Since March of 2011, the ADA has required that all playgrounds be in compliance with ADA accessibility guidelines. With these laws had come the challenge of creating a wheelchair accessible playground that is fun for the children who will be using the playgrounds in wheelchairs. If you are struggling with trying to figure out how create an ADA accessible playground then check out the following tips!
 

• Begin with deciding on safety surfacing. It does not matter what type of equipment you have if wheelchairs can't access the equipment due to surfacing issues. The best surfaces are included, but not limited to, poured in place rubber, rubber mulch, rubber tiles, or engineered wood fiber.
• Offer accessible play components! Many large structures have activity panels that may include tic tac toe, music panels, sensory panels, and learning panels. Some structures also have post-mounted bongos, drums, telescopes, and ship's wheels.
• Consider making the entire structure wheelchair accessible. All structures feature transfer stations, but you have the option of making the entire structure wheelchair accessible by using ramps.
• Include ADA swing seats, wheel-thru climbers, and smaller structures.

The cost of creating an entirely wheelchair accessible playground can be overwhelming. To keep your project in budget, consider designing part of the playground to be entirely wheelchair accessible with smaller structures, ADA swing seats, and wheel-thru climbers.
 

Bridging Pathways Playground

If you want to create a structure that is entirely wheelchair accessible we are happy to help you design something that fits in your budget. To the right is the Bridging Pathways Playground that was designed for wheelchairs. Because of the use of ramps, the structure is larger than a regular structure that just features transfer stations.

For a full article on creating a wheelchair accessible playground click here. As always, we are happy to answer any questions you have about creating your wheelchair accessible playground.