ADA Compliance in Playgrounds: What You Need to Know

We celebrated 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this July, an act that provides the foundation for protecting people with disabilities from discrimination, on the playground and beyond. The spirit of the ADA is marked by ensuring equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities, so everyone can stay active, enjoy sports, and fully participate in recreation across the country. This is specifically important in playgrounds. It is not only our moral imperative to create spaces where all children and caretakers can comfortably play together, but a legal one. It is our goal to not only meet the ADA requirements, but to go above and beyond to create inclusive spaces where every child can gain a valuable experience. In this blog, we’ll demystify ADA compliance for playgrounds and share our expertise and resources.

Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The ADA, signed into law on July 26, 1990, prohibits the “discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government programs and services.” While parks and playgrounds fall under the category of “public accommodations,” playground designers and developers didn’t have much guidance for ensuring equal access to all people in such places until 2010. In 2010, the ADA released the Standards for Accessible Design, giving clear guidelines for playgrounds. 

According to the ADA, to be accessible or inclusive, a playground must have the following:

• An accessible path from the building or parking lot to the edge of the play area.
• An accessible path from the edge of the play area to the play equipment.
• Surfacing that complies with ASTM 1951 (Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment).

Our team of experts can help determine how to best make your play area meet these standards through our surfacing, equipment, and other options. Let’s see how. 

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Inclusive Playgrounds

Key ADA Requirements for Playgrounds

Pathways and surfacing are great places to start when it comes to meeting key ADA requirements, but it is also important to consider accessibility inside the play area. For example, once a child enters the playground, can they access all the equipment easily? Here’s our checklist of elements to meet the ADA requirements (and go beyond):

• Accessible Routes:
  • An accessible route is a continuous, unobstructed path connecting all elements and spaces of a playground.
  • Pathways should be firm, stable, and slip resistant. Inside the play boundary, this may include platforms or ramps.
  • Outside the play area boundary, accessible routes should also include (if applicable) parking access aisles, curb ramps, crosswalks at vehicular ways, access to restrooms, walks, ramps, and lifts.
• Play Components:
  • A play component is an element intended to generate specific opportunities for play, socialization, or learning.
  • A certain number and type of play components are necessary to create a truly inclusive space. This includes:
    • Ground-level components: Play components that are approached and exited at ground level.
    • Elevated components: A play component that is approached above or below grade and that is part of a composite play structure. To meet requirements, the structure should consist of two or more play components attached or functionally linked to create an integrated unit providing more than one play activity.
• Surfacing
  • Surfacing plays a critical role in accessibility. The most inclusive playgrounds opt for surfacing that provides a uniform top layer, like poured-in-place rubber, which in turn provides the most ease of use for park-goers using mobility devices. Poured-in-place rubber also provides the best safety ratings associated with impact attenuation.
  • Other accessible options include recycled rubber mulch, rubber tiles, synthetic turf, and engineered wood fiber. If opting for a loose-fill surfacing, it’s key to ensure accessibility is being maintained with regular rakes and top-offs to retain proper surfacing depth and consistency.
• Use Zones
  • A use zone can be defined as the ground level area beneath and immediately adjacent to a play structure or piece of equipment, as designated by the ASTM. This is the play surface upon which it is predicted a user would land when falling from or exiting the equipment.
  • Another way to conceptualize a use zone is a ‘safe zone’ around equipment. This zone is crucial for preventing injuries, like falls or collisions.
  • The recommended use zone around all edges of the equipment is 6 feet of clear, unobstructed open space covered by safety surfacing.

The ADA guidelines are vital and provide a sturdy foundation to build upon. By ensuring the needs of the ADA guidelines are met, we can explore how to make our playgrounds truly inclusive, exciting, and engaging.

Read more: Common Terminology to Know About Inclusive and Accessible Playgrounds

Beyond Compliance: Designing for True Inclusion

Designing for true inclusion means going beyond the ADA’s framework. We partner with PlayCore and their Center for Outreach, Research and Education (CORE) to use scholarly, evidence-based research to inform our inclusive playground design. One of the core principles of inclusive playground design is the concept of universal design, meaning the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design.

There are so many ways to use the universal design principle to provide meaningful play experiences. Here are some examples:

• Sensory-rich play elements: Elements like outdoor musical instruments, sensory wave climbers and sensory spinning seats benefit all children. Including these elements provides an especially engaging environment for those with sensory processing differences.
• Quiet zones: These areas make a huge difference for children and their caretakers needing a break from stimulation. Providing a quiet zone will allow those who need it to spend more time at the park without having to leave for a moment of calm.
• Multi-generational play opportunities: Play components that involve the whole family and provide people of all ages to participate in the joy of the playground. Our favorite is the Expression Swing, which provides a unique bonding experience for users.
• Thoughtful signage: Important for wayfinding, proper signage will not only aid in guiding visitors through the park but make caretakers and kids alike feel safer and more comfortable as they navigate the play equipment.

Partnering with Experts for ADA Success

When designing for true inclusion, a key choice is who you choose to partner with. Expertise and research in the field of inclusion is crucial for navigating the complex ADA guidelines, ensuring compliance, and incorporating thoughtful inclusive design. This is why we partner with PlayCore and CORE, as we touched upon above. Through CORE, we offer a variety of scholarly services in addition to the broadest selection of inclusive products to build complete play and recreation environments. With our partners at PlayCore, our in-house team with 50 years of experience, including Certified Playground Safety Inspectors (CPSIs), we are proud to ensure evidence-based, compliant inclusive design solutions.

In collaboration with the NYC Parks Department, we brought innovative design and universal accessibility together to create a playground that welcomes children of all abilities, in the heart of Brooklyn. Kelly Park features a fully accessible ramped structure, a custom maze installation, two areas designed for ages 2-5 and two zones catering to ages 5-12. The centerpiece is the accessible structure, integrated with a 6-foot-high concrete mountain that includes ramped access and a concrete path to the summit, ensuring the thrill of elevation for every child, regardless of mobility.

ADA compliance is more than a legal requirement; it's the starting point for creating equitable and accessible play opportunities for everyone. By ensuring that every child and caregiver can enjoy your playground, you're building a space that allows for genuine connection and growth where no one is left out, and everyone feels welcome and engaged. At MRC Recreation, we are dedicated to helping communities achieve compliance and, more importantly, go beyond it to build truly inclusive, joyful play spaces. We believe in partnering with you to bring a vision of universal play to life. If you're ready to create a playground that serves all members of your community, our team is here to help.

Explore our accessible playground solutions, learn more about our partnerships with PlayCore and CORE, or contact us today to schedule a consultation.