Why Inclusive Play Areas?
Inclusive play areas promote social integration. While one child may not be able to climb or swing as high as another, an inclusive, accessible play area will still enable both children to communicate and learn about one another and from one another. The point where the play area stops being accessible, is also the point where their ability to continue learning from one another stops. This also becomes the point where misperceptions have greater ability to grow. Proposed Standards When the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, it was accompanied by accessibility guidelines for the built environment (the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines–ADAAG). Unfortunately, the standards did not yet address those environments unique to recreation such as sports facilities, outdoor developed areas, trails, beaches, swimming pools, golf courses and playgrounds. To develop accessibility standards for recreation facilities and outdoor developed areas, the U.S. Archi
