November 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 36

INCLUSIVE PLAY
Without equally accessible playgrounds,
the benefits of play are not fully realized
by people with disabilities.
(tinyurl.com/hv2fr4t6,
tinyurl.
com/c3e847kt). One playground
taking on this challenge is PlayGrand
Adventures,
all-abilities playground in the heart
of Grand Prairie, Texas.
PlayGrand Adventures:
A Case Study
As a doctoral student at Baylor
University, I conducted an illustrative
case study on PlayGrand
Adventures to understand how the
community engaged as supporters.
I focused on visitor utilization, donor
behavior and perception, asking
how visitors utilized PlayGrand
Adventures, how donors supported
PlayGrand Adventures, and how
community
perception
of Play " I
can only take Adeline to the
park for an hour or so because I
can't
stand very long and everything
to sit on is painful, " Katie
says. " I usually sit on a swing, but
that means I can't follow Adeline
around and interact like I want
to. And if I bring a wheelchair or
walker, it still doesn't do me any
good because it's not accessible.
Disability just overall affects human
interaction in our society, and
it shouldn't be that way. "
It shouldn't be that way. People
with disabilities are often stigmatized,
underserved and left out of
36 Parks & Recreation | NOVEMBER 2 0 2 1
experiences, like playing on public
playgrounds. Play helps us develop
physically, socially, emotionally
and intellectually and builds confidence,
creativity and empathy
(tinyurl.com/phcwzvx,
com/22wvu5fk). Without
ly accessible
playgrounds,
these
benefits are not fully realized by
people with disabilities. A move
toward inclusive playground design
addresses
the
access
gap,
but such spaces are limited, expensive,
misunderstood
or misused,
and often do not invite play
among people with all ability levels
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
Grand Adventures drove engagement.
Through an online questionnaire,
semi-structured interviews
and playground observations, I uncovered
information that will help
PlayGrand Adventures and other
all-abilities playgrounds respond to
community needs, raise funds for
development and sustainment, and
design spaces where everyone can
play together, regardless of ability
level. Findings from this study are
highlighted below.
Visitors
with
tinyurl.
equaland
without
disabilities share many values:
safety, inclusion and socialization.
Visitors to PlayGrand Adventures
expressed
satisfaction
with
the
equipment and amenities, praising
the quantity, variety and intentional
inclusivity of features. The mostmentioned
features were the family
seesaw, in-ground merry-go-round
and inclusive swings. Visitors noted
the unique experiences provided
by these features - especially the
a 10-acre,

https://tinyurl.com/c3e847kt http://www.tinyurl.com/hv2fr4t6 https://tinyurl.com/c3e847kt https://tinyurl.com/22wvu5fk http://www.tinyurl.com/phcwzvx https://tinyurl.com/22wvu5fk

November 2021 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2021 - Parks & Recreation