NPR digs into accessible playgrounds, because everyone should get to play.
Remember running around the playground when you were a kid? Maybe hanging from the monkey bars or seeing who could swing the highest?
It wasn’t just a mindless energy burn. Many have called play the work of childhood. Play teaches children how to make friends, make rules and navigate relationships.
But for kids whose disabilities keep them from using playgrounds, those opportunities can be lost.
New federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act are changing the landscape for public playgrounds, requiring them to include equipment, materials and designs that provide children with disabilities the same play opportunities as typical children.
Be sure to look at the app, which serves as both a way to find the nearest playground near you and as a way for you to help build a reference for parents. They’ve found over 1,200 playgrounds for kids to play at so far.
