The Americans with Disabilities Act and the "universally accessible" playground |
Q - I thought that according to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), all public places must be accessible? How is it that playgrounds are not accessible already? A - This is true, and most if not all playgrounds in Colorado Springs meet the ADA requirements. However, the requirements specify that the structure provide an area to transfer out of a wheelchair onto the play surface. This means a child must leave their wheelchair behind. According to statistics, fewer than 10% of children who have disabilities can use a typical “transfer system” to get from a wheelchair to playground equipment (Source - Owens, D.E., 2000. “Level Playing Fields.” The Orlando Sentinel, Mar.14, p. E6). Our hope is that the universally accessible playground will meet the full spirit of the law so that all children can have full access to play without having to leave their equipment and assistive devices behind.
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