1All Successful, Inclusive Playgrounds Start with Comprehensive Planning An economic assessment conducted during the development of accessibility standards for play areas esƟ mated there to be 5,300 new public playgrounds constructed each year and more than 18,600 exisƟ ng playgrounds that are renovated. The decision to build a public playground, whether it be in a park, school, mall or childcare seƫ ng, is an iniƟ al fi nancial commitment of $60,000 to $100,000 and upward just for the purchase of equipment and construcƟ on (NCA Playground Surface Study, 2013). This cost can be overwhelming. OŌ en Ɵ mes, new playground owners do not realize that owning a playground is not a one-Ɵ me purchase. It is a commitment to maintain the equipment and surface for as long as it is open to the public. Most public playgrounds are designed to be in place for 10-20 years. At some point, the equipment will need to be serviced to meet revised safety standards and the surface will likely need to be repaired or replaced. A comprehensive planning process is essenƟ al to ensure everyone is educated on the safety requirements, the accessibility standards, design consideraƟ ons, installaƟ on and ongoing maintenance needs. An accessible playground starts with an accessible site plan. The site selecƟ on and layout of the accessible route should be considered alongside the selecƟ on of the play equipment. The accessible route must be designed as the main pedestrian route and connect all accessible equipment, both points of entry and egress. This means everyone enters and uses the site together. A site survey may be necessary even on sites deemed “relaƟ vely fl at.” A site survey, even for sites considered “fl at” or without substanƟ al change in elevaƟ on, should be conducted to design for a conƟ nuous accessible route, with compliant cross slope and adequate site drainage. At playgrounds without site surveys, the NaƟ onal Center on Accessibility research found more instances of non-compliant accessible routes. Most oŌ en equipment was moved during construcƟ on, deviaƟ ng from the original plan, to accommodate the use zones. These changes negaƟ vely aff ected the accessible routes. The site plan should include the layout of equipment and the planned accessible route should be drawn on the site plan connecƟ ng entry and egress from each accessible elevated play component and each accessible ground level play component. It is highly recommended that the accessible route be clearly defi ned on the site plan and construcƟ on drawings. If the playground owner decides to go with a surface material, such as loose fi ll that has a higher degree of surface variability, designaƟ on of the accessible route on the site plan will give the installer and maintenance personnel specifi c guidance on the appropriate locaƟ on of the accessible route, installaƟ on of the surface material, and its ongoing maintenance to meet the accessibility standards. 3
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