A Longitudinal Study of Playground Surfaces to Evaluate Accessibility - Final Report

Conclusion

Preliminary results from this study indicate that there is no perfect playground surface.  Even within 12 months of installation, each type of surface had some type of issue or series of issues that may affect the product’s performance and contribute to the necessity and frequency of surface maintenance to assure accessibility and safety for use by children on a daily basis.  The public playground has the potential to provide immeasurable opportunities supporting the development of children of all abilities.  The design, installation and maintenance of play equipment and the surface material is critical to achieving an inclusive environment that facilitates child development and enables children with disabilities to fully participate with their non-disabled peers.  Failure to recognize the significant role of the surface material is to design for segregation.  Where the playground surface material fails to comply with safety standards for impact attenuation, children are put at risk of injury.  Where the playground surface fails to comply with the minimum accessibility standards, children with mobility impairments may be regulated to the sidelines only to look on. 

Playground owners need to become educated on, not only the minimum safety and accessibility standards, but the practical application of the standards to the newly installed playground surface in order to inspect the surface and ensure it is compliant.  To fully benefit from the product’s marketed advantages and costs-savings, decision-makers should request much more information from the manufacturer including specific instructions for installation and maintenance along with results of laboratory tests and surface preparation for the lab tests that are consistent with the installation instructions.  Decision-makers should dialogue with the surface supplier regarding realistic, objective measurements to evaluate surface performance and maintain the surface material over the life span of the playground. The communication gap between the manufacturer’s literature and the owner’s perception of installation and maintenance must be bridged if the owner is to fully benefit from the available products on the market today.