Inclusive Playground Equipment Design

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Inclusive Playground Equipment Design and Installation

Pacific Play Systems specializes in the design, supply, and installation of inclusive playground equipment for children of all ages. We place a great deal of emphasis on providing equal access for children with various disabilities and design our equipment to maximize ADA accessibility. Boundary free designs using accessible equipment and surfacing capable of providing full ADA accessibility are our goals for each project that we undertake.

inclusive playground equipment design

Designing Inclusive Playgrounds

In designing an ADA accessible play environment, our designers work hard to create barrier-free designs that foster interaction and socialization for children at all age and ability levels. From the early design stages to the finish, we strive to offer the very best equipment in the industry. In recent years, the U.S. Access Board has developed specific guidelines in order to ensure that children with disabilities have equal access to various play components. Please see the following link for more information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.

ADA Accessible Routes to Play Area

Boundary free design for inclusive playgrounds starts with careful placement of an accessible route which provides ADA access for children with disabilities to various play components placed along its route. Our designers provide wheelchair accessible surfacing such as PIP rubberized surfacing or engineered wood fiber to connect the ADA accessible commercial playground equipment with its accessible route. A well-designed playground connected with an accessible route to points of entry such as buildings and parking lots will create equal access for children of various ages and abilities.

inclusive playground equipment design

Commitment to Playground Accessibility

Ground Level Play Components

A ground level component is a play component that is approached and exited at just the ground level using accessible surfacing such as engineered wood fiber or PIP. Panels, free-standing climbers, spring riders, see saws, and swings are a few examples of ground-level components. Designers are encouraged to use a variety of ground-level components within their design and to spread them throughout the site so that they are not concentrated within close proximity to each other. Per ADA guidelines, at least one of each type of ground-level component shall be placed over ADA accessible surfacing for each accessible playground.

Access to Elevated Components

A transfer station or other means of ADA access shall be used to provide access to the elevated components within an ADA accessible playground in structures having less than 20 elevated play components. Larger structures having more than 20 elevated components shall use ramps to provide wheelchair access to the elevated components. In large structures, a transfer station may be used to access up to 25% of the elevated play components.

inclusive playground transfer ramp

ADA Transfer Stations

In today’s ADA accessible composite play structures, a transfer station is used to provide a transition for disabled children from a wheelchair to the elevated components within the play structure. The maximum rise in elevation of each accessible platform to the next platform shall not be more than 8 inches. ADA accessible playground safety surfacing shall be used to connect the transfer station to the accessible components such as slides, climbers, etc. Be sure to contact Pacific Play Systems for inclusive playground equipment installation.

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