Does the Americans with Disabilities Act apply to play areas?
As public areas, playgrounds also fall within the scope of the ADA. On October 18, 2000, the Board published accessibility guidelines for newly built or altered play areas under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The guidelines are one of the first of their kind in providing a comprehensive set of criteria for access to play areas. They cover the number of play components required to be accessible, accessible surfacing in play areas, ramp access and transfer system access to elevated structures, and access to soft contained play structures. The guidelines address play areas provided at schools, parks, child care facilities (except those based in the operators home, which are exempt), and other facilities subject to the ADA. These standards are aimed toward playground surfacing and access to play equipment, as well as the design and configuration of the equipment. It is extremely important to plan ahead, they are the latest thinking on playground ADA and can be used as precedent
