April 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 62

PlayCore inclusive treehouse

Going beyond ADA Compliance
for Further Inclusiveness
When the toddler playground was installed in August of last
year at St. David's Center for Child and Family Development,
it became the first playground in Minnesota to integrate both
inclusive and natural play elements. It was designed by
Landscape Structures and St. David's Center with the needs
of all children in mind. According to Maureen Walsh, director of Community Relations and Development at St. David's
Center, the playground is accessed by about 350 children
from their center-based preschool and early intervention
programs, 100 of whom have been diagnosed with autism,
plus other disabilities and developmental delays.
" We have integrated children of all abilities into our
classrooms and playgrounds for nearly 50 years. At St. David's Center, it is essential that children with developmental challenges learn side-by-side with typically developing
children. As part of that, our playgrounds need to incorporate play components and open space that promote play as
the developmental work of young children, " Walsh says.
Walsh had worked with Landscape Structures for preschool playground equipment in 2004, and again chose

" Our playgrounds need to incorporate play
components and open space that promote play
as the developmental work of young children. "
-Maureen Walsh, director of Community Relations
and Development, St. David's Center

Playworld
garden house
60 Parks & Recreation

Apr i l 2 0 1 1

www.NRPA .ORG

this company for this current project. " The quality
of Landscape Structures'
actual product ca n not
be beat. Its design team
worked hard to understand
the unique needs of the
children who would access
the playground and worked
collaboratively with us to
make sure the design hit
the mark, " Walsh says. " We
especially like the inclusive
play elements and the vast
array of equipment choices, as well as an infinite number of layout options. "
Regarding equipment that goes beyond ADA compliance, Walsh points to the Cozy Dome and Sensory Wall,
two pieces specifically designed for children on the autism
spectrum. " The Cozy Dome can serve many functions,
from upper body strength building to imaginative play, and
can also be used by children who need to tune out if they're
over-stimulated with playground activity, " Walsh says. " The
Sensory Wall encourages children who might typically hyper-focus on one activity the opportunity to experiment with
something just a couple feet away. It includes a music component and a mirror, both of which can be used therapeutically with children on the autism spectrum. "
To accurately target disabled children, Playworld Systems established a partnership with Mara Kaplan, the
founder of Let Kids Play!, an organization specializing in
designing play spaces for children with special needs. Kaplan, an educator and parent of a child with a disability, has
been seeing a trend toward more sensory-rich playground
equipment in recent years, especially targeted toward autistic children. " You want to create a universal playground
that anyone can play on, while putting in playground pieces that all children can love but are especially useful for
children with disabilities, " Kaplan says.
But the equipment offers more than just exercise for
children with disabilities. Kaplan explains that it also offers
numerous social advantages. " Lots of times children with
autism don't know how to act in social situations, and playgrounds can be good for them. " Also, Playworld System's
NEOS, a crossover between outdoor play and ever-popular video gaming, appeals to children of all ranges, offering many advantages. " I've seen 80-year-olds play on it
and 1-year-olds. Buttons are easily reached by children with a wheelchair. Kids with autism can play
it, " says Kaplan. " People are cheering for children
who are playing. This is so important because kids
with disabilities are often ostracized. But when they
play NEOS, they get that positive feedback. "

April 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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