WHAT IS A BARRIER-FREE PLAYGROUND?
Stafford Park will be first the park in the City of Fairfax to be barrier free. The City of Fairfax has embraced the philosophy of accessible play for all and the Parks and Recreation Department truly understands that “play matters.”

Barrier-Free, a term developed by the parks and recreation field and adopted by the playground industry was influenced by the tremendous efforts of the National Center for Boundless Playgrounds. Boundless Playgrounds has educated Parks and Recreation agencies, schools and manufacturers for over 10 years that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) only goes so far. For many years, playgrounds were developed with minimal standard to provide accessibility with limited pathways and transfer stations. This is what’s called the “roads to nowhere” approach to playground design. It’s called this because it only takes into account the physical disability and doesn’t take into account the many other disabilities such as sight, hearing and many more. Barrier-Free playgrounds does this. They connect the path ways, add play features throughout the site and address the most important feature, the ability for all children of all abilities to play side-by-side. You see this through the many activities in a barrier-free design that allows the more active child to interact and have a similar, rigorous play experience next to a child that has differing abilities.

Barrier-Free is:
•Commitment to child development, rigor, and challenge for all children.

•ADA focuses on removing barriers to access. Barrier-Free goes beyond the ADA Standards.

•Requires at least 70% of play activities serve children with physical disabilities, allowing greater “integration” of all children. (ADA is 25% to 50%)

•Designed to be “sensory-rich,” it will address the needs of all children with sensory and developmental disabilities.

•Challenging and age-appropriate addressing every child’s intellectual, physical, emotional and social needs.

•Allows the opportunity for individuals of all ages the ability to interact in a park setting and “Discover the Benefits” of play.

For more information on the National Center for Boundless Playgrounds go to www.boundlessplaygrounds.org

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