Children with disabilities should have accessible playgrounds in their neighborhoods. Most schools and communities that are planning, designing and managing playgrounds and play areas have stakeholders who look beyond the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines and Consumer Product Safety Commission Guidelines, but both of these are good starting points for building, renovating, refurbishing, or designing brand new public play spaces.
Not all families, education professionals or therapy staff have broad experience with children whose special needs reflect the diversity in their own community. Planning for safe, enjoyable and appropriately challenging playgrounds only for those who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes or braces may leave children who have vision, hearing, sensory, motor planning, or other challenges on the sidelines. Some children need medication, blood tests, injections, snacks, drinks, frequent applications of sunscreen, hats or other protective gear.
Facilities adjacent to playgrounds may offer additional opportunities for creative and practical design features that benefit everyone who uses the resources. Something as simple as wall hooks in the proper places in a restroom stall or dressing room can make a world of difference to a child or caregiver.
Lack of planning for natural spaces, benches, and comfort needs for supervising adults on playgrounds, in dressing rooms, restrooms, in team or player seating areas, on the sidelines or while waiting for award ceremony recognition, can create awkward situations for children whose care providers would prefer to be present in the most discreet fashion possible.
Accessible Playgrounds and Naturally Integrated Play Areas
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51542.asp
Recess Skills for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art432.asp
Universal Design for Learning - Access to General Education Curriculum
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art50363.asp
Inclusive P.E. for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46155.asp
Dolls for Children with Special Needs
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art51720.asp
Developing Accessible Play Space - A Good Practice Guide - 2003
How communities can develop their own practical, low cost and simple solutions
http://www.odpm.gov.uk/pub/763/
Accessible Play Areas - Head Start Classrooms and Play Areas
http://www.headstartinfo.org
NCEF Resource List on Accessibility in School Facilities
http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/accessibility.cfm
Accessible Play Area Strategies - UK
http://www.arun.gov.uk/assets/parks/parks_strategy.pdf
ASUMAG Planning Accessible Play Facilities for Schools
http://asumag.com/mag/university_planning_accessible_play
Playground surfacing and play equipment access; accessible routes to and through the playground; slopes, ramps, landings and transfer points; ground level social space; turning radius; percentage of and location of accessible modular play structure sections; color, temperature, skin abrading effects of surfacing materials
Summary Guidelines - using facilities advisory boards to assist with inclusion of universal design in long range educational facilities plans - 2005
http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/Publications/PDF/LRFP_Disabilities.pdf
Creating Inclusive Child Care Facilities
http://www.easterseals.com
Accessibility Guidelines Preamble and Text of Final Rule
http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/final.pdf
2006 International Building Code IBC / ADAAG Comparison compares three accessibility resources: the 2004 Americans with Disabilities Act, Architectural Barriers Act Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities; the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines and the 2006 IBC that refers to the 2003 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities codes
http://www.iccsafe.org/safety/accessibility/news-2006comparison.html
Access Board Web Based Course on Accessible Play Area Guidelines
http://www.access-board.gov/news/play-course.htm
Boundless Playgrounds - Barzach
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/access/playgrounds.htm - 13
Recess Games
Children and Grief - Play Therapy
National PTA - Rescuing Recess
Recess kits, grants and support for funding playground equipment, volunteer programs and research studies
www.pta.org
