ERIC ED433673: Accessible & Safe Playgrounds into Every Town, U.S.A.

8 Pages·1996·0.19 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
EF 005 128
ED 433 673
Kienitz, E. Malle; Kent, Robert L., Jr.
AUTHOR
Accessible & Safe Playgrounds into Every Town, U.S.A.
TITLE
1996-00-00
PUB DATE
6p.; In: 1996 Annual Meeting Proceedings: American Society
NOTE
(Wagner, Cheryl, Ed.) p136-140.
of Landscape Architects,
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*Accessibility (For Disabled); Elementary Education;
DESCRIPTORS
*Elementary Schools; *Playgrounds; *Public Schools
Cost Containment; *Landscape Architecture; *Playground
IDENTIFIERS
Design; Playground Equipment
ABSTRACT
Landscape architects, playground manufacturers, and the
federal government have all developed guidelines for accessible, safe play
landscapes. This paper examines the difficulties in meeting these guidelines
due to two main obstacles: ignorance of access needs and the perception that
accessibility is expensive. It suggests that landscape architects have the
skills to design access at a reasonable cost because they can evaluate sites
for their potential advantages and drawbacks. The paper argues for playground
layouts that allow handicapped and able-bodied children to play together.
Concluding comments briefly address the needs for other playground components
that include water, shade, and areas for supervising adults. Line drawings of
two playground design concepts are included. (Contains 16 references and 7
notes.)
(GR)
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ACCESSIBLE & SAFE PLAYGROUNDS
INTO EVERY TOWN, U.S.A.
E. Malle Kienitz and Robert L. Kent, Jr.
Landscape architects, playground manufactur-
attitude, because complaints from their town have
ers, and the federal government have all researched
been filed with the Department of Justice, which will
and developed guidelines for accessible, safe play
follow up on correction of the problem.
landscapes. The results are available in guidelines,
It takes an understanding of disabilities, manu-
standards manuals and in technical sections of the
facturers, public sector concerns, and work in a
A.D.A. (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)
range of budgets and spaces to create access where
The problem is to create playgrounds that
itself.
needed. A designer working on accessible play land-
meet these guidelines in the all the towns, cities, and
scapes often needs to spend time with playground
communities where children actually play. The State
committees; recreation personnel and other decision
of Rhode Island did a safety and accessibility survey
makers to help them understand that buying a play
of all public playgrounds. None met the standards for
structure with a transfer platforms cannot be a com-
safety and accessibility [Rhode Island, 1993]. This
plete solution to an accessible playground.
condition exists in other areas of the country as wel1.2
Some clients will not even consider a transfer
Over 25%3 of the population has some form of
platform. Others need to understand that pathways
disability, temporary or otherwise, using different
to the equipment and the safe fall surface around the
skills or abilities for a task than commonly used.
piece must be accessible. Often structures pre-
Some achieve motion without using their legs, others
designed by equipment manufacturers have only one
learn to pay attention without being able to hear, etc.
accessible section which can be reached using a
The basic tenet in playground safety guidelines is
transfer platform, in essence a "disabilities only"
allowing children to make their own choices for play
zone limited to those who can transfer. Other por-
without being injured by unperceived hazards
tions of the structure will be inaccessible because the
[Tinsworth, 1992; Wallach, 1990, 1992]. Playground
connecting pieces are overhead ladders, a difficult
safety has come a long way through design changes
piece for some able-bodied children, or another inac-
made to playground equipment and materials.
cessible connection (fig. 1).
CO
Creating accessible play must still overcome the first'
In other cases, the other consultants on a project
hurdle in that statement: providing all children the
will not have considered access to play except by des-
opportunity to make their own choices when they
ignating a blank square area for a play structure.
Im
play on the new, safer equipment. Our profession
Accessible site circulation to play is needed, and
can offer significant value to society by providing
redesign will be necessary if the landscape architect
in
learning experiences for all children.
has not been involved from the beginning of the pro-
The two obstacles most commonly encountered
ject. Design firms are not always up to date on all the
O
in the effort to design accessible and safe play-
needs fo"r play design and will need to be informed
O
grounds are ignorance of access needs and the per-
about the state-of-the-art techniques.
ception that accessibility is expensive, a hardship for
As an example of a similar situation, manufac-
communities with tight budgets. Some communities
turers have spent more than a decade redesigning
have been forced to act on access, regardless of their
equipment and surfacing to meet the first and second
1996 Annual Meeting Proceedings of the American Society of Landscape Architects
2
set of C.P.S.C.
[U.S. Consumer Product Safety
ilar cost as an inaccessible
one would have been
with
Commission 1981, 1992] guidelines for playground
just as many play opportunities
for the
money.
safety. Every illustrated playground in play catalogs
It is important to have
access to upper levels
for
warns clients to install a safe-fall material around
all children regardless of the
notion expressed
to us
their equipment. Playground articles in magazines
by a recreation director, who
said, "They
can't do
always mention safe-fall material. Newer catalogs
anything up there." Some children,
not able to trans-
give proper safe-fall dimensions for each piece. Yet
fer, can slide with a helper alongside
on a standard
many public playgrounds exist today without safe-
play piece, the double slide:
two going down
fall material,5 and the public sector has a lot of indi-
together. Various standard pieces have
potential for
viduals who are confused about appropriate safe-fall.
kids independently or with help, given
circulation
One Department of Public Works head in
a
access. A further reason for upper level access is the
California community stated that sawdust was what
adults supervising children. The disabled
parent
he intended to use for safety. It is not on the list of
needs access to his/her child too.
approved materials, nor is it accessible!
Two other important types of learning
occur on
The work to make play accessible will take the
the upper level besides physical development. They
same kind of persistent, long-term effort, trying to
are: (1) social play, the ability to join other children
reach everyone, anywhere who is involved in deci-
playing above, and (2) the development of kinesthe-
sions about playgrounds in their communities. Our
sia, the sense of oneself in relation to one's environ-
profession is in an excellent position to affect deci-
ment. People in wheelchairs particularly enjoy the
sions about play landscapes since we are directly
sense of looking down onto something from above,
involved in the design of many of these.
after spending so much time looking
up.
As landscape architects we have the skills to
The safety designed into standard play equip-
design access at a reasonable cost because
we can
ment and safe-fall material provides protection for
evaluate sites for their potential advantages and draw-
every user. Safe-fall material provides the same
backs. Controlling or taking advantage of landform is
degree of cushioning for everyone. Guard rails
often one cost effective way to gain access. It has the
designed to prevent bicycles from riding off
upper
advantage of appearing as an intrinsic part of the site
platforms also protect wheelchair users from passing
rather than an obvious "handicap" feature. The best
through. Turning access approach at a right angle
to
expression of access is achieved when everyone enters
the ramp discourages bicycles from riding inside.6
the site or the site features along the
same approach.
All of the above can happen on
a public play-
Separate but equal is not the intent of the A.D.A.
ground, within the project budget, using standard
Taking advantage of landform has worked to
our
equipment, if the designer reviews the layout of the
advantage on many sites. People often don't realize
play structure, whether created by the design office
that a playground surface does not need to be flat.
or the manufacturer, and the site (fig.2). Check for
Manufacturers sometimes have difficulty with grad-
complete access to all pieces so children
can chose
ing concepts that raise or lower the ground around
for themselves what they will do. Review play pieces
equipment even at small percentages. Fortunately,
for use by different abilities on both
upper and lower
the posts still work.
levels. Ensure properly designed access from
conve-
At one playground designed in Rhode Island for
nient handicapped parking spaces to the play struc-
the Easter Seals school, 80% of the children
were in
ture and around its lower levels.
wheelchairs, many unable to use transfer platforms.
Other important components for play land-
With only two ramp pieces, directly from the catalog,
scapes for everyone include water, sand, and grass
one at each end of the structure; we used the existing
made accessible. While found in professional articles
grade to create access to the upper level deck, allowing
and books for accessible play [Arroyo, 1990;
students and their able-bodied visitors to play together.
Goltsman and Driskell, 1992], the general public
is
Other equipment on that structure
was all stan-
not aware of these needs, and we must actively
dard manufacturer's play pieces. Some of the play
encourage these features. Drinking water and shade
experiences which develop hand-arm coordination:
in proximity to play are not only needed for rest and
steering wheels, phones, tic-tac-toe games, etc. were
refreshment, but also by some children with disabil-
used as enclosures on the upper level. The
access
ities who have trouble with photosensitivity or body
ramp became everyone's main entry to the upper
temperature [King, 1996]. Accessible benches are
level, and the whole play structure
was built at a sim-
needed both for social play and supervising adults.
The Profession: Design
United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Using contrasting and bright colors in comprehensi-
1981. A Handbook for Public Playground Safety. 2
ble patterns which enhance the play, making it more
vols. Washington: USCPSC.
exciting, will help orient people with low vision7 or
developmental disabilities.
-. 1992. Handbook for Public
Playground Safety.
All of these measures to make play landscapes
Washington: USCPSC.
accessible are within our area of expertise and capa-
United States. Dept. of the Interior and Dept. of Agriculture.
bility. We can truly make a difference in the lives of
The National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
many children if we persist in educating, in commu-
1990. "Design Guide for Accessible Outdoor Recreation."
nicating our knowledge. Let all our kids play, and let
Interim draft for review. San Dimas, CA: USDA Forest
all adults help their children when they need to.
Service Technology and Development Center.
References
Wallach, Frances. 1990. "Playground Safety." Parks
Arroyo, Frances. 1990. "Designing Play for All." Parks
and Recreation 25.8: 46-50.
and Recreation 25.8: 41-43.
-. 1992. "Hazard Identification." MRPA seminar.
Droz, R. and M. Rahmy. 1972. Understanding Piaget. Trans.
Weyland, MA. 20 March.
Joyce Diamanti. New York: International Universities, 1976.
Trans. of Lire Piaget. Paris: Editions Charles Dessart.
Notes
and Dave Driskell. 1992. "Beyond
Goltsman, Susan
M.
1. The list of references contains all the documents
the Curb Cut." Landscape Architecture 82.4: 84-87.
referred to by this author. Various states have also created
their own laws and standards. Please refer to those for
King, Patricia. M.R.N., M.S., Director of Patient Care
more information when designing in a particular state.
Services, Shriner's Hospital. 1996. Telephone
Interview. 25 Jan.
2. This is based on observations by our firm over the
past 10 years as we have designed over three hundred
Clarke, Kathy. M.S. Easter Seals of Rhode Island. 1995.
playgrounds for towns of all sizes.
Conversation with Author. 22 Sept.
3. Page 2 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Newcombe, Nora. 1982 "Development of Spatial
states that 43 million Americans have some form of dis-
Cognition and Cognitive Development." Cohen, Robert.
ability. This is approximately 25% of our population.
Children's Conceptions of Spatial Relationships: New
Directions for Child Development. 65-82.
4. A transfer platform is a deck or other elevated surface with
the proper height (varies by age: 12 to 17 in., [Architectural
Rhode Island Department of Health. 1993. Playground
and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1992]) and
Safety: A Report on Rhode Island's Municipal
accessible location to allow a child to approach and transfer
Playgrounds. Providence: State of Rhode Island and
from the wheelchair to the other surface.
Providence Plantations.
5. Based on same range of observations as cited in
Subcommittee F15.29 on Playground Equipment for
note no. 2. We have designed playgrounds for most
Public Use. 1995. Standard Consumer Safety Performance
areas of the country, and have seen other playgrounds
Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use,
all around them which are dangerous.
ASTM Designation: F 1487 - 95. Philadelphia: American
Society for Testing and Materials.
6. Non-standard use of equipment cannot be entirely pre-
vented by design since one of the reasons children play is
Tinsworth, Deborah Kale. 1992. "Report on Hazards."
to test the relationship of things in their environment and
MRPA seminar. Weyland, MA, 20 March.
their own effect on them [Newcombe, 1982]. Logical
thinking as practiced by adults, does not emerge until
United States. The Architectural and Transportation
approximately the age of 12 as discussed by child develop-
Barriers Compliance Board. 1992. Recommendations for
ment scientist Jean Piaget [Droz and Rahmy, 1972].
Accessibility Standards for Children's Environments. By
Encouraging supervision, posting rules, using standard war-
The Center for Accessible Housing. Washington: G.P.O.
ranted equipment, and meeting safety guidelines are neces-
sary steps when play is open to public use [Wallach, 1992].
United States Congress. 1990. Public Law 101-336 -
July 26, 1990: Americans with Disabilities Act of
7. Yellow is the last color to be lost as vision deterio-
1990. 101st Cong. Washington: GPO.
rates or is poor [Clarke, 1995].
4
1996 Annual Meeting Proceedings of the American Society of Landscape Architects
138
Notes
4. Overhead ladder-type pieces are
barriers when used as linkages
1. No wheelchair access & transfer
between decks
station only serves one deck area
5. Some attachments/pieces are
2. Access by steps difficult for
difficult to use.
crutches
6. Edging is a barrier
3. Multi-level decks: difficult with
crutches, impossible for wheelchairs
Figure 1. Common problems for access in standard playground structures
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
5
The Profession: Design
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4. Linkage between decks (bridge) is
Notes
accessible
100% of lower and upper level
1.
5. Double/multiple slides allow
accessible
racing, helpers, and an alternate
type of access for some children.
2. Ramp access to upper level play
enclosures.
,6. Some standard climbers are easier
for everyone to use.
3. Deck large enough for wheelchair
to turn around
Figure 2. Standard equipment used to achieve access.
BESTCOPYAVAILABLE
6
140
1996
Annual Meeting Proceedings of the American Society of Landscape Architects
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Accessible and Safe Playgrounds into Every Town, U.S.A.
Title:
Kienitz, E. Ma lle; Kent, Robert L.
Author(s):
Publication Date:
American Society of Landscape Architects
Corporate Source:
1996
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