In past efforts to provide park and playground surfaces that were soft, safe and more shock absorbing, many planners and specifiers turned to bulk surfaces such as sand and sawdust to fulfill the need of reducing playground injuries. These products were relatively successful in respects to safety, but were inadequate in terms of accessibility for the disabled. The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, however, requires that any community receiving federal funding (for any purpose) must ensure that all new public facilities, including parks, schools and playgrounds, be accessible to wheelchairs and walkers. Although this law gives disabled children the right to play side-by-side with other children, it also presents a problem that may do more harm than the law does good.

The true obstacle standing in the way of physically challenged children’s enjoyment of public playgrounds has never been legal constraints, but design decisions that make the safest playgrounds virtually inaccessible to wheelchairs and walkers. Soft surfaces reduce the chance of injury to children who fall during the course of play, but smooth, hard surfaces are by far the easiest for people with disabilities to traverse. Unfortunately, the presence of smooth, hard surfaces on public play grounds negates the reasoning behind having soft playground surfaces and increases the risk of injury to all children, disabled or not. Now, with the passage of the Civil Rights Restoration Act, planners and specifiers may be forced to use these dangerously hard surfaces to be in compliance with the law.

But are they really forced to use them? Two products on the market today combine the previously incompatible properties of shock absorption and accessibility for the disabled.

The Safety Deck system is installed by interlocking individual tiles and securing them to each other with stainless steel clips. “This is truly the playground of the future,” says Roger Maloney, president of the Mat Factory. “Safety Deck is guaranteed against poor workmanship for five years, and the product has a life expectancy of 15-20 years.” Moreover, the product is resistant to temperature fluctuations (it resists freezing to temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit), can be used immediately upon installation and while grass is growing through it, can withstand the direct weight of a five-ton truck, never will harden or crack and will not catch fire even when exposed to the direct flame of a blowtorch. “Its finest features are its longevity, its potential for water savings and its handicapped access,” says Maloney. Wheelchair access is aided by the non-directional orientation of the surface and its small openings before the grass grows through, and its uniform stability after grass has covered the mat completely. “We currently are planning with St. Louis, Missouri to use Safety Deck in the construction of the first playground intended entirely for disabled children,” says Maloney.

In addition to its playground application, the Navy Seals have found a use in its small ocean-going craft for the decking system. “The Seals pick personnel up out of the water at incredible speeds, literally jerking them out and flopping them onto the deck of the boat,” says Maloney. “They are currently installing Safety Deck in their boats because of its shock absorption properties and because its design allows water to drain straight away into the scuppers, so the deck remains relatively dry throughout their operations.” Cost of the product ranges from four to five dollars per square foot, depending on the quantity purchased.

The second product providing playground safety and access for the disabled comes from The Fibar System, Mamaroneck, New York.

Fibar is a natural product manufactured for durability and guaranteed for three years against decay and biological degradation. According to Robert Heath, president of the company that markets The Fibar System, it is the only bulk surfacing material on the market that is accessible to disabled persons and surpasses the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s guidelines. The wood fibers of the system knit together to create a firm yet resilient surface for crutches, walkers and wheelchairs. The Fibar System can be installed either above or below ground and even over existing asphalt. Once installed, Fibar blends naturally into the landscape and needs only minimal maintenance under most weather conditions. The manufacturers are so confident of their product that they have covered the Fibar System with a $1 million product liability policy. “The Fibar System is a major element in risk reduction when specified for playground surfaces,” says Heath.

National statistics show that an average of 432 children are seriously injured in playground falls every day. Therefore, it is critical that the surfaces children play on are resilient. Further, Landscape Architects, parents and consumer groups should demand safer, more accessible playgrounds for all children, including the disabled.