A Sense of Responsibility

By Joel Jackson Tampa Parks Department

In the fall of 1989, Tampa?EUR??,,????'???s Mayor, Sandra Freedman, was concerned that the City of Tampa have a quality public playground for the city?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??physically challenged?EUR??,,????'?? population. Given this direction a team was formed from both the city?EUR??,,????'???s Parks and Recreation Departments to plan the facility. Among the team members were a landscape architect, a therapeutic recreation specialist, and a specifier.

The team first met with representatives from several organizations that work with the physically challenged. Then they visited several institutional play areas specifically designed for the physically challenged. However, it was recognized that a city public play area would differ from the more secure and well-staffed institutional facilities in the following ways:

• A public play facility would attract able-bodied children, as well as physically challenged; therefore, the play area would need to be designed to accommodate all children, while still being challenging and safe.
• Because public play facilities normally receive hard use and even, abuse, special attention was needed to ensure that the design and materials were durable, resistant to vandalism, and safe.
• It would be necessary for the new facility to function without a specially trained staff.
• It was suggested by advisors that it is often the parents, not the children, who are physically challenged. Therefore, such parents may need to access the play area to help their children. These same parents would likely appreciate the availability of other adjacent facilities, such as restrooms, phones, parking, picnic shelters, fitness trails, etc.

At the time, the team was unable to find any one manufacturer that could supply all of the needed equipment. Nor could the team find a singular play unit with decks large enough to meet the team?EUR??,,????'???s requirements. It was, therefore, decided to purchase different equipment components and design/build the basic integrating structures using traditional outdoor deck construction.

The basic play unit was designed around a series of four, eight foot wide wooden decks (the longest being 24 ft.). These decks were interconnected with three types of bridges and two climbing tubes. The main deck was kept to only two feet high.

Wheelchair bound children were encouraged to transfer to a smaller 3' high carpet covered deck, and then on to various slide beds or climbers. One deck was designed with a roof to be a quiet, out of the way area, accessible only by an arched bridge. In addition to the two main ramps (1:12 slope) a carpeted incline (1:4 slope) was added to the side of the main deck. This simple feature proved extremely popular with small children who loved to crawl or run up and down it.

Tampa?EUR??,,????'???s 130 acre Al Lopez Park was selected for the project, based on its central location and | availability of supportive facilities. As part of a strategy to deal with this project as a comprehensive package the following improvements were also undertaken:

• The existing ?EUR??,,????'??turf block?EUR??,,????'?? parking lot handicap parking spaces were expanded from two to seven spaces by replacing open pavers with solid pavers.
• A continuous sidewalk connecting the parking lot, play area, restroom, and a specially equipped picnic shelter.
• The local phone company supplied a phone booth (a lower open design) that can be used by a wheelchair park visitor.
• A nearby foot bridge was equipped with a 30" high handrail to meet accessibility guidelines.
• A nearby picnic shelter was equipped with one-sided picnic tables, and off-set charcoal grills. Sidewalks were carefully matched to the shelter slab to ensure smooth transitions and points of entry.
• A ?EUR??,,????'??wheel-trail?EUR??,,????'?? fitness course (specifically designed for persons in wheelchairs) was installed along the existing fitness trail at the park.
• The area surrounding the play equipment was enhanced with benches facing the equipment (to encourage adult supervision), a parking area for wheelchairs and strollers, shade trees, and offset drinking fountains. Sidewalks were designed to meet wheelchair ramps at a 90 degree angle to discourage use of ramps by skateboarders.

After three years of operation, the project has continued to be popular and well used by the public. Some of the observations made during this period are as follows:

• Routine wear and tear have replaced vandalism as the major maintenance concern.
• More physically challenged adults (many are parents) than physically challenged children actually visit the site.
• The play area has become very popular with parents of both able-bodied and physically challenged children. These parents have expressed appreciation for the play area?EUR??,,????'???s safe yet challenging layout. They also mention its ability to hold children?EUR??,,????'???s attention.
• It has become a common sight to see children barely able to walk, experiencing the thrill of successfully mastering the play equipment.
• The large wide decks allow and encourage adults to accompany children through the play system. A very popular feature.
• Most physically challenged youth visiting the play area are not in wheelchairs. The lesson here is for designers not to focus entirely on wheelchair accessibility. An abundance of railings, hand-holds, carpeted surfaces and low heights greatly contribute to the success and enjoyable use by children with a variety of disabilities.

Experience gained on this project is helping the City of Tampa improve other parks in the city in order to make them more welcome, and enjoyable places for all of the city residents.