Accessible Play Areas - A Summary of Accessibility Guidelines for Play Areas

Reach Ranges (Advisory)
The play area guidelines include advisory information on recommended reach ranges.  Reach ranges are the recommended designated regions of space that a person seated in a wheelchair can reasonably extend their arm or hand to touch, manipulate, move, or interact with an object or play component.

Reach ranges should be considered when providing play components with manipulative or interactive features for children who use wheelchairs. Recommended forward or side reach ranges are:

• 20 to 36 inches for 3 to 4 year-olds

• 18 to 40 inches for 5 to 8 year-olds

• 16 to 44 inches for 9 to 12 year-olds

Side Reach

Forward Reach

The reach ranges appropriate for use by children who use wheelchairs to access play components are intended for ground-level components, and elevated components accessed by ramps. Reach ranges are not appropriate for play components reached by transfer systems. Appropriate reach range heights will vary depending on how the play component is accessed.  This interactive panel (right) is mounted at a height appropriate for a child who uses a wheelchair.

The reach ranges in this guide are recommendations that should be considered when designing play components with manipulative features intended for use by individuals who use wheelchairs.