Accessibility
WHAT IS A BOUNDLESS PLAYGROUND?
Boundless Playgrounds’ mission is to build truly inclusive playgrounds where children — and adults — of all abilities can play and learn together in a fun and welcoming environment. Their vision is to create a world where ALL children have the opportunity to gain the developmental and health benefits derived from unstructured play in an inclusive environment National Center for Boundless Playgrounds.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR BOUNDLESS PLAYGROUNDS
Darrell’s Dream was developed and accredited in cooperation with the National Center for Boundless Playgrounds. They were the first national nonprofit dedicated to helping communities create extraordinary inclusive playgrounds where children with and without disabilities can develop essential skills for life as they learn together and play. Today, there are more then 214 Boundless Playgrounds in over 34 states and Canada with dozens more in development.
THE BENEFITS OF INCLUSION
For children with disabilities:
- Offers opportunity to learn social skills in integrated, more natural environments
- Provides more stimulating, motivating, normalized environment
- Increases availability of age-appropriate, non-disabled role models and peer supports
- Allows participation in a variety of in-school and extracurricular activities
- Creates the opportunity to develop potentially new friendships with peers who live in same neighborhood
- Improves self-esteem
For children without disabilities:
- Can improve attitudes towards children with disabilities
- Can teach others how to interact with, be friends to, assist, and advocate for peers with disabilities
- Increase availability of special resource personnel, instruction, and equipment
- Gives perspective (i.e. having a “hurt” knee, acne, or losing a boyfriend suddenly seems somewhat trivial compared to the daily challenges faced by children with disabilities
- Reduces prejudices of future parents of children with disabilities, future taxpayers, future teachers, and future business persons by providing greater personal knowledge of disability
Accessibility Features of
Darrell’s Dream Boundless Playground
Here are just some of the wonderful features of the playground’s accessibility:
- Ramped wheelchair access so every child can reach the highest platform deck
- Universally accessible pathways and surfacing
- Activity transfers that maximize accessibility
- Cozy Spots where everyone can gather
- Play structures that support child development
- Swings and equipment with back support
- Elevated sand tables and activity panels where children of all abilities can play together
- Sensor-rich activities that let the imagination soar
- Activities for the hearing and visually impaired
- Handicap parking and parking area for buses
- Restroom facilities equipped for the disabled
- A place to picnic among friends