The Sensory Rich Playground is For Children of All Abilities
Young children learn by using all of their senses, so your playground should offer as many experiences as possible. The more sensory experiences, the more is learned and gained during development. The playground should include the following sensory areas:
Visual:top Adults tend to look at the functional aspect of playgrounds that includes the natural coloration and a traditional theme. Oft times, the natural looking playground is aesthetic for the adult rather than the child. It’s rare that the typical child-oriented environment consists of typical natural coloration, i.e. beige, green, brown. More likely, a playground with a variety of shapes, colors, and forms will offer the most stimulation and improve spatial perception.
Vestibular:top
The vestibular system consists of small, liquid-filled tubes in the inner ear and is important in maintaining a child’s sense of balance. The movement of liquid through these canals produces stimulation of the nervous system. Sensory experiences change every time the head moves in a different direction or at a different speed; this explains children’s great enjoyment of whirling, spinning, swing, or being tossed in the air. During the first years, children’s vestibular systems are very receptive to even small amount s of stimulation, and slight variations in speed and direction have a substantial effect on balance. The vestibular system works with the senses of touch and vision as well as sensations from the joints and muscles to help children orient themselves in space. When children go down a slide, for example, they both feel and see themselves moving downward through space. by about the age of 8, the sensory-motor development of children is well established.
FAQ’s for Accessible Playgrounds-Are They Enforceable?
As law, no they haven’t been enforced–yet. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. In 2000, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board issued a final rule in the form of accessibility guidelines to serve as the basis for standards to be adopted by the Department of Justice for new construction and alterations of play areas by the ADA.–as from the National Program for Playground Safety website.
These guidelines have not been adopted by law, but they provide playground operators with a blueprint for an accessible playground.
Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas: An Overview
Are these amendments enforceable at this time?
No. The ADA design standards are developed in a two step process. They are first published by the Access Board as a minimum guideline for the Department of Justice (DOJ). DOJ is responsible for adopting enforceable standards that are consistent with the Board’s minimum guidelines. Currently, these final guidelines are not yet part of DOJ’s enforceable standard. However, people may wish to consult the guidelines in the interim since the current enforceable standard does not specifically address play areas. (The absence of specific provisions in the current standards does not mean that play areas are exempt from the provision of access under the ADA; rather, it means that play areas are not held to a specific level of access under the current standard).
Definitions
Several defined terms are key to understanding the guidelines. These include “play components,” which are manufactured or natural elements used for play, socialization, or learning. Two types of play components are distinguished: ground level and elevated.
Ground level play components are those approached and exited at ground level, such as spring rockers, swings, and stand-alone climbers (left).
Elevated play components are approached above or below grade and are part of composite structures that provide a variety of play activities (right).
Minimum Number
The guidelines require looking at play areas as a collection of individual play components to determine the minimum amount required to be accessible. Minimum requirements are based on the number of components provided for a play area.
Ground Level Play Components
There are two criteria for ground level play components which must be met, although the same accessible components can be used to satisfy both:
- access it required to at least one of each type provided
- the minimum number and variety is also determined by the number of elevated play components provided.
Get complete ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Play Areas here.
Mara Kaplan, Let Kids Play, also has a wonderful site on accessible playgrounds
Don’t forget to reference the Fundraising Resources page on the top right tab, for products and resources to help you with your playground fundraiser. If you are planning an accessible playground in the Southeast and would like design advice, for meeting accessibility guidelines please contact us.
