BARRIERFREEPLAYGROUND

PennsylvaniaStateUniversity
EDSGN100Section11
Project1
Group5
October28,2016

Submittedby:Group5
GroupMembers:RyanWoodring
MattZiegler
AsadAshfaq
DanielSequeira
BarrierFreePlayground
Abstract:
AreoccurringissueprevalentinplaygrounddesignsacrossAmericaistheabsenceofall
inclusivestructuresandequipment.Thisresultsinthecontinuousdiscriminationofchildren
whoarephysicallyboundbyvariousformsofadisabilities.Thegoalistocircumventthisissue
bycreatingacohesiveplaygroundthatisfullyaccessibleandfunctionaltochildrenofall
physicalcapabilitieswhilesustainingthefunctionalityofthetraditionalplayground.Givenan
1800squarefootportionoftheplottedland,adesignforaspecificzonethatcontainsamenities
whichareeasilyaccessibleandsafeforallpatronswhilecateringtothewantsandpreferencesof
thestakeholdersispreferred.Thosewhoaredisabledaswellasablebodiedwillhaveequal
opportunitiestointeractwithoneanotherinadiscriminativefreezone.Thiszonewillcontain
activitiesincludingfunnelball,foursquare,tetherball,basketball,andopenspace.Itwillbe
locatedonaflat,leveledplaneandwillofferseatingandeasyaccesstoandfromneighboring
zones.Thiszonewillbeidentifiedasthemultipurposezone.Theresultingdesignofthe
multipurposezoneincludesabasketballcourt,twotetherballareas,afoursquarecourt,afunnel
ballzone,anemergencyvehicleparkingspace,aluminumseating,twohandicapaccessible
ramps,alongwithopenspaceforfreeplay(variousdiagramsandfiguresshowthesefeatures
moreclosely).Ourequipmentfeaturesmechanismsthatmakeadjustingtheheightsallowingfor
moreinclusionamongalloftheusers.Theseamenitiesarelocatedonahardsurfacethatis
sufficientforbasketballandisalsoeasilyaccessible.Itsalsosafeonhardimpactsallowingfor
anoptimumpreventionofinjuries.,variousfailuresleadtothisdesignincludingcost
inefficiencies,spacemaximization,andcooperationwithborderingzones.Thefinalresult
featuresdesignsthatmakeinclusionamongtheusersmoreequal(thanthatofcurrentexisting
playgrounds)foreveryoneandallowsforeasyaccesstodisabledaswellasablebodiedchildren.
Thewantsandpreferencesofthestakeholderswereaccommodatedasthesuccessfuldesignwas
reached.[youcouldeasilycut100wordshere:firsttakeoutthereferencestothingsyoudidnt
define,andthensaythatyouhaveprovidedahardpavedlevelcourtwithadjustablepoleheights
forsometraditionalgames]
2

TableofContents

FrontMatter
Abstract....................................................................................................................2
ListofTablesandFigures........................................................................................5
[payattention:thelistoftablesisdifferent/separatefromthelistoffigures,andyoushouldbe
numberingthesections,notcallingthemoutasfrontmatterandtextandbackmatter]
Text
ExecutiveSummary.................................................................................................4
DetailedIntroduction...............................................................................................5
MethodsandAssumptions.......................................................................................6
ResultsandDiscussions.........................................................................................12
Conclusion.............................................................................................................13
References..............................................................................................................14

BackMatter
Appendices.............................................................................................................18

ListofTables&Figures
Table
Table1:DisabilityFocus.....................................................................................................9
Table2:RelativeWantsandNeeds.....................................................................................9
Table3:ScoringofConcepts.............................................................................................11
Figures
Figure1:AbleBodiedAccessibilityExample....................................................................8
Figure2:Prototype1.........................................................................................................11
Figure3:Prototype2.........................................................................................................11
Figure4:Prototype3.........................................................................................................11
Figure5:Prototype4.........................................................................................................12
Figure6:Prototype5.........................................................................................................12
Figure7:InitialConditions.................................................................................................13
Figure8:DesignConcentration.........................................................................................13
Figure9:ZoneOverlapforTrees......................................................................................14
Figure10:Seating..............................................................................................................14
Figure11:Trees.................................................................................................................14
Figure12:DimensionedPlanes.........................................................................................15
Figure13:FunnelBallLeverage.......................................................................................16
Figure14:HandCrankMechanism...................................................................................16

Figure15:BasketballHoopHeight...................................................................................17
Figure16:OpenSpaceActivities......................................................................................17
Figure17:EqualPlay.........................................................................................................17
Figure16:
Figure17:
Executivesummary:
IncidenceofdisabilitiesinAmericanchildrenhasbeenontheriseoverthepast10years
(Scribner,2014).Thisgenerationisfacedwithanewproblem,ofmakingplaygroundequipment
universallyaccessible.Theproblemarisesbecausenoteverytypeplaygroundisaccessiblewith
everyoneanditcouldbeperceivedasdiscriminationorexclusion.
Inordertocreateaplaygroundthataccommodatesallchildrenwhilemaintaining
completefunctionality,acombinationofmanydifferentactivitiesisdesirable.Thesolution
foundtobemostfitfortheneedsandconformingtothegiven1,800squarefeetplotofland
consistsof:basketball,funnelball,tetherball,foursquare,andchalkactivitiesonaflathard
surface.Thisareaiscalledtheballfunnelzone.[itwascalledthemultipurposezoneinthe
abstractaboveproofread!]
Thebasketballandfunnelballhoopscanbesetatdifferentheightsandcanbeplayedby
everyone.Tetherballisanothergamethatisinclusiveandtheheightcanbechangedwhich
wouldmakeiteasierforsmallchildrenandchildrenonwheelchairs.Thefoursquarewaschosen
becauseitisagamethatisplayedonthegroundandaballbouncingtowardspeoplewhich
makesitveryinclusiveofeveryone.Finally,thechalkgameswerechosenbecauseanyonecan
grabachalkandmakeupagameonthegroundorplayanalreadyexistinggame.
Somegamescouldnotbeincludedintothedesign.Thefirstgamethatwasdismissedwas
soccer.Althoughsoccerisinclusivewitheveryone,itwasdismissedbecausethegoalnetstake
toomuchspacewhichwouldhaveeliminatedatleasttwootheractivities.Anothergamethatwas
notaddedwasbaseball.Baseballisagamethat,eventhoughitisverypopularintheUnited
States,isnotveryinclusiveforpeoplewithdisabilities.Othergameswerenottakenintoaccount
eitherbecausetheyarenotpopulargamesthatwouldbeusedbychildrenorwerenotinclusiveat
all.[whatcriteriadidyouusetodeterminewhetherornottokeepagame?]

Thesuccessesoftheplaygroundcanbefoundin:

o Usingallavailablespaceefficiently
o Levelsurfaceallowsforeaseofaccessibilityforthosewithmobilityimpairments
o Widevarietyofgamesallowsforaccommodationofthefourmostcommon
disabilitiesintheUnitedStates
o Accommodationsfordisabilitiesdonoteliminatetheexhilaratingexperiencefor
childrentohave
o Cooperationwithoneotherportionoftheplayground[whatdoesthismean?]

Thefailuresoftheplaygroundcanbefoundin:
o Noteverydisabilitycanbeaccommodated
o Cooperationwithothersectionsoftheplaygrounddidnotexistinregardto
levelingthebordersoftheareabecauseitwasnotsuitableforthebordering
sections[youhavetoexplainalittlemoreaboutwhatyouredealingwithatthe
bordersevenyourbossprobablyneedsareminder]

DetailedIntroduction:
[payattention:youneedtoprovideanadvanceorganizerforeverysectionthattellsthereader
whatisincludedinthissection]
Thestakeholdersoftheplaygroundarethosewhoaredirectlyandindirectlyaffectedby
theexistenceofthisplayground.Themostimportantstakeholdersarethechildrenusingthe
equipment. Theparents/guardiansofthechildrenusingtheequipmentarealsoavitalpartofthe
stakeholdersalongwiththetownshipinwhichtheplaygroundislocated.Finally,thegroupor
individualwhoisprovidingthefundstocreatethisplaygroundisanotherimportantstakeholder.
Theclient,theoneprovidingthefunds,wouldlikeaprocessfordesigninganall
inclusiveplaygroundthatprovidesthesamelevelofexcitementtochildrenwithdisabilitiesas
wellasthosewhoarefullyablebodied,withoutnegativelyaffectingthefunctionalityofthe
playground.Thechildrenusingtheplaygroundwouldlikeafunandthrillingexperiencethat
allowsforeveryonetoparticipate.Theywouldalsoliketobeabletotakerisksthatputthem
outsideoftheircomfortzone.Parentswouldpreferthattheirchildrenhaveasafeandfun
experiencethatallowstheirchildtosocializewithotherchildren.Inaddition,theparentswould
liketobeabletoparticipateintheactivitiesthattheirchildrenaretakingpartin.Thetownship
inwhichtheparkislocatedwouldprefernochildtobeleftout,whilemaintainingsafetyand
accessibilitytoeveryoneusingthefacility.Manypreferredsituationsaresharedamongthe
differentstakeholders.Someofthemostcommonsharedgoalswouldbethatofsafety,fun,and
6

inclusiveness.However,aconflictariseswhentryingtoaccommodateallofthestakeholder
needs.Thelargestconflictarisesmostcommonlyamongparentsandplanners.Thisisbecause
parentslookforsafetyaboveallotheraspectswhereasplannersandinvestorsseekforthemost
costeffectiveresulthencecompromisingforsomesafety.Theissueofsafetyhasitsrootsin
almosteveryconflictthatarisesamongstakeholders.Fromthedesignoftheridestothematerial
onthefloor,eachcomponenthastobesafetousesothatparents/guardiansarenottoo
concernedwhiletheirchildisrunningaroundintheplayground,whilealsotakingintoaccount
theneedtocontrolcosts.Thisincludesareasonablecosttosetupaswellasaveryreasonable
costtomaintaintheequipment,surfaceetc.[dontuseabbreviationsexceptparentheticallyyou
mayuseacronymsandinitializationsafterintroducingthem]
Twoofthelargestproblemsbeingaddressedbythepotentialcreationofthisplayground
areinclusivenessandfunctionalityoftheplayground.Theinclusivenessisallowingforchildren
withandwithoutdisabilitiestoparticipateinallactivities.Thefunctionalityoftheplaygroundis
toalloweveryonetouseit,withouttakingawaythetraditionalfunthatcanbehadatone.To
begintacklingtheissueathand,researchwascarriedouttogatherinformationonpossiblythe
mostimportantstakeholder;thechildren.Inordertoefficientlybuildaplaygroundthatisfully
functionalforall,dataondisabledchildrenwasneededtopointprogressinthedirectionof
potentialsolutions.
Thedatacollectedthroughsurveysandresearchofexistingparksshowedthatthevarious
stakeholdershadcertainneedsthathadtobefulfilledinthedesignoftheplayground.Therewas
averycommonneedamongparentsforsafetyoftheplayground.Specifically,theyrequiredthe
playgroundequipmenttonothaveanysharpedgesandthepresenceoftreestoensuretheir
childrenareplayinginacleanenvironment/area.Thetownshipsneedswerelowmaintenance
costs.Specifically,theyrequiredhighqualityequipmentfortheplaygroundthatwaseasyand
costeffectivetomaintainonadailybasishadtheneedofanallinclusiveplayground.They
specificallyrequiredaplan/designthathadappropriateequipmentthatcouldtakeintoaccount
manydifferenttypesofchildrenwhocouldusetheequipmentwithease.Finally,thechildren
themselveshadtheneedofaplaygroundthatletthemhavefunandtakerisks.Specifically,they
requireequipmentthatletsthemexperienceafuntimewithoutanyregardforsafetyandno
restrictionstotheamountoffuntheycanhave.[isntherewhereyourtableofthestakeholder
needsshouldoccur?]
[isntthispartthatfollowswhatyouwanttosayattheverybeginningoftheintroduction,right
aftertheadvanceorganizeryouwanttotellthereader:hereisthecurrent/existingstateof
playgroundsthenfollowwiththestakeholderanalysisaspeoplewhoareaffectedbyaccesto
playgrounds]Existingplaygroundconditionsareworkingtowardsequalinclusiveness[citation
required],butarenotcompletelyidealforchildrenwhomayhavedisabilities.Manyofthese
7

playgroundsthatlackinclusivenessincludemulchbedsforthesurface,impedingtheabilityof
childreninwheelchairsandoncrutchesfrombeingabletoaccesstheattractions.Theyalso
includestairswhichcannotbeusedbythoseinwheelchairs.Someoftheotheractivitiesthat
canbeusedbyablebodiedchildrenonlyareclimbingandconventionalswings,whichinvolve
bothfeetandhands.

Figure1:AbleBodiedAccessibilityExample[whatareyoushowing
thereaderhere?]
Methods,Assumptions&Procedures:
InitialResearchandScoring
Thetop10disabilitiesfoundinAmericanchildrenare(startingwiththemostcommon)
[arenttheseexistingconditions?]
1. Autism
2. ADHD
3. cerebralpalsy
4. downsyndrome
5. epilepsy
6. spinebifida
7. dyslexia
8. depression
9. intellectualdisability
10. paralysis
(Scribner,2014,page?)
Lookingatthesemostcommondisabilities,abetterunderstandingofthemostimportant
conditionsneededtomaketheplaygroundfullyfunctionalcanbeaddressed.Ofthedisabilities,
thosepertainingtoemotionaldisorders,suchasdepressionandADHD,[no,theyarenot
negligibleyouchosetonotincludethem,anditwasntacaseofefficiencyasmuchasitwasa
simplificationonyourpartsmadenecessarybytheshorttimelineoftheprojectstoptryingto
8

hidethedecisionsyoumadeasifthoseweresomehowshameful;youhavetobringthemtothe
readersattention].Inordertomaximizeefficiencyandprioritizethemostsignificantneeds,the
remainingdisabilitieswereputintothreecategoriesthatguidedthedecisionmakingprocessinto
asimpleronewhichincludes:
1.Learningdeficiencies[howarethesedifferentfromcognitive?]
2.CognitiveImpairments
3.Mobilityimpairments[whynosensoryimpairments?]

Table1:DisabilityFocus
1.
Mental/Learning
Deficiencies

Autism
DownSyndrome
IntellectualDisability

2.
Cognitive
Impairments
[thesedonotprevent
someonefromthinking]
Cerebralpalsy
Epilepsy
SpineBifida

3.
Mobile
Disabilities

Paralysis
PartialParalysis
DevelopmentalDiseases:
MS,MuscularDystrophy,
ALS

Whentestingtoseeifachildwithadisabilityineachcategorycanfullyuseapieceof
equipmentoraccessanareaofland,thenmaximuminclusivenesscanbereached.[thisis
gibberishproofread!]
Inordertofindadesignthatwouldbeoptimuminpreferences,datahadtobecollected
inordertofindthewants/preferences,andtheneeds/requirementsofthestakeholdersinvolved.
Tabulateddatarevealstherequirementsthataremostpreferableforafinaldesign.Thedatawas
collectedviaquestionnairecompletedbyallofthestakeholdersinvolved.Theywereaskeda
seriesofquestionsonwhattheywouldliketoseeinanewplaygroundcomingtotheirarea.[no,
thedatawerenotcollected;youfabricatedthem,andyouneedtosaythathere:payattention!]
TheirresultsareshownbelowinTable2.
Table2:RelativeWantsandNeeds

Stakeholders

DisabledChildren

Want/Preferences

Fun,Thrill,Excitement,
Inclusion,Easeof
Accessibility

Needs
[sorry,butthesearenot
requirements;theyrejustas
generalasthewants
columnifyouwanttogetto
specifications,thenyouneed
specificrequirements!]
Inclusiveness,Easily
Accessible,Safe

Fun,Thrill,Excitement

EaseofUse,Safe

Fun,Safety,Inclusionamong
children,Openspace,
IncorporationofNature

DesignatedArea,Funand
Safefortheirchildren

Popular,CostEfficient,
Inclusive,Safe

Maximumuseofspace,
Efficientuseofmoney

Fun,Safe,Popular,Low
Maintenance,CostEfficient,
Inclusive

Maintenance,CostEfficient,
Inclusive,Popular

AbleBodiedChildren

Parents

GrantLenders

PropertyOwners

Theparentsneedswereidentifiedthroughwhattheywouldwant.Theresultsshowed
thatparentswantsomethingwheretheirchildcanplaywhilealsoremainingsafe.Thetownships
needswereidentifiedthroughwhattheywouldberesponsiblefor.Theseneedswereidentified
throughthesamesurveywhichalsoaskedabouttheresponsibilitiesthetownshipwasexpecting
andwillingtotakefortheplayground.Theresultsshowedthattheywouldhavetomaintainthe
playground,andsoinreturntheywouldwantsomethingwithaslittlemaintenanceaspossible.
Thechildrensneedswereidentifiedthroughlookingattheexistingplaygroundsandthe
problemstatement.Existingplaygroundsarentperfect,andtheydontincludeeveryone.The
childrensneedsweretohaveafunandinclusiveexperience.Thedifferentneedswerebroken
downintocategorieswithvaryingweightinginordertofindanultimatepreferredcondition.
Thedatacollectedwasusedinascoringmechanismthathelpedguidethedecision
makingprocesstowardsthemostpreferreddesign.Thepartstoincludeinthedesignwere
groupedundercategorieswiththesametitlesastheresponsesfoundinTable2.Theresponses
weregivenahigherscalethemoretheyappearedacrossthestakeholdersresponses.Then,

10

variousdesignsweregivenascorebasedonhowwelltheymettheweightofthatparticular
design.[youfabricatedthedataandyouhavetosaythatexplicitly:payattention!also,dontyou
wanttorefertothesurveyintheappendixhere?]
Thefunandexcitementwasdefinedastohowmuchfun,riskiness,andcreativitythe
designfeatured.[youcantusefuntodefinefun;thatsatautologythattellsnoone
anything]Thesafetywasdefinedaswhatisthelikelyhoodofsomeonebeinginjured.Thiswas
measuredinwhattypesofmaterialsandactivitieswerebeingused.Inclusivenesswasdefinedas
whetherornotallchildrencouldbeincludedontheplaygroundinsomeway.Thiswasmeasured
bywhatactivitiescannotbeperformedbycertainpeople.Pricewashowmucheverythingwould
cost.Maintenancewashowmuchtheupkeepontheplaygroundwouldbe.[normallywebreak
downconstructionalongthelinesofeitherfabricationanderection(asinpiecesofsteelof
reinforcingbar)orresponsibilityfor:
furnishing(bringingtothejobsiteforotherstoinstall)
installing(fasteninginplacewhatothershavefurnished)
providing(tobothfurnishandinstall)
here,pricemightincludemanufacture(fabrication),transportationtothesite(furnishing)and
installationasalumpsumforthepieceofequipmentanditsfootings(sitepreparationsuchas
grading,grubbing,seeding,basecourseandfinishcourseofmat)and,ofcourse,salestaxand
permittingfeesifany]

Table1

Table3ScoringofConcepts
Safety
Inclusiveness
Price
(15)
(30)
(10)

Fun
(35)

Maintenance
(10)

Overall
(100)

Concept1

30

22

75

Prototype2

23

10

20

68

Prototype3

34

13

26

86

Prototype4

32

11

25

84

Prototype5

20

11

18

10

68

11

Figure2:

Figure3:Prototype2

Figure4:Prototype3

12

Figure5:Prototype4

Figure6:Prototype5

Theorderofimportanceofthecategoriesusedwerealsoaccountedforlogically.Fun
wasgiventhehighestvalueof35becauseifaplaygroundisnotfun,peoplewillnotuseit.This
woulddefeatthepurposeofhavingaplayground.Safetywasgivenavalueof15becauseitis
moreimportantthanpriceandmaintenance,butwasnotapartoftheinitialproblem.
Inclusivenesswasgivenavalueof30becauseitisthemaingoalofthisplayground,toinclude
everychild.PriceandMaintenancewerebothgivenvaluesof10becausetheyhavetodowith
money,andthemaingoalistocreatetheplaygroundforthekids,notmakeaprofit.Asaresult,
thechildrensneedsweregiventhehighestpriorityandthishelpedresolvetheconflictof
differentstakeholdersneedsastherewasnowaknownareaoffocus.
DesignProcess
Becausethesubjectlandwaslocatedonagradualelevatingplanthatscaledfroma0
levelelevationto+4levelelevation(seefigure7),asolutionwasneededtoaccommodateallof
theequipmentonaleveledplane.Problemswereencounteredwhenfindingasuitablecondition.
Theinitialandmostfavorableconditionwastoleveltheentirepieceoflanddowntoa0level
planewhichleadtothecreationofdesignswiththisstipulation.However,therewasanissue
whendealingwithaccesstoandfromareassurroundingthedesignatedzone.Thesolutiontothis
wasanelevatedrampeasilyaccessiblebyallindividualsattheplayground.Inordertoobtaina
wellspacedoutplayground,itwasdecidedtoleveltheplaneinaverycosteffectiveand
efficientway.Thiswasdonebyproposingtousetheduguplandfromhigherelevationsfor
lowerelevationstobringthewholepartoftheplaygroundtooneconsistentplane(refertomodel
3).Themostoptimalleveloflandforourequipmentwastothemedianelevationof2+,while
leavingfourfeetoflandborderingthezonesattheinitialtopographicstate.Thispreventsthe
interferenceofdesignsbetweenotherzoneswhileallowingustomaximizetheuseofremaining
land.Asmodel3shows,thehighlightedportionrepresentsthelandatalevelof+2.[

13


Figure7:InitialCondition

Figure8:DesignConcentration

Whenchoosingwhatspecifictypesofequipmenttoincludeintheballzone,researchwas
conductedtofindoutsports/activitiesthatcanbealteredtoallowbothableanddisablebodied
childrentoplay.Ultimately,thepreferreddesignincludedtheballfunnelzone.Thispieceof
equipmentiscommongroundtothemajorityofchildren;itsinclusionwastoppriority.
Basketballiscommonlyknowntobeinclusiveforallchildren(GetGoing,n.d.)henceitwas
addedtothedesign.Theavailabilityofadjustablebasketballnetshasallowedthissporttobe
moreinclusiveinadditiontospecialwheelchairsusedinprofessionalbasketballgames
(however,thespecialwheelchairswillnotbeprovidedasanormalwheelchairwillbesufficient).
Manychildrenhavebasicknowledgeofthesportanditinturnallowsthemtoparticipateand
buildfundamentalskillsthatarebeneficialtoallchildren.Anothercommongameamong
childrenisFoursquare.Itisasimpleyetfunfilledgamethatcanbeplayedbyallchildreninan
openspace.
Satisfyingthewantsandneedsofotherstakeholderssuchastheparentsandtownship
involvedlookingatwhatthezonecouldofferthem.Throughasurveyitwasfoundthatthese
stakeholderswantedtheplaygroundtoofferagreenenvironmentwithasufficientamountof
naturegivingapeacefulatmosphere.Asaresult,thefinalideatoplanttreestoaccommodate
shadeandincorporatenaturewasplacedintothedesign.Thisideawasundertakenonlyafter
gainingpermissionfromthegroupinchargeofthepieceoflandtothenorthofours.Aswedid
notwantourtreestooverlapanythingthatwasgoingtobebuiltorplacedontheotherpieceof
land.

14

Figure9:ZoneOverlapforTrees

Theinitialseatingplannedcalledforplacingaseriesofbenchesonthefourfeetof
borderinglandthatwaskeptattheinitialtopographicguidelines.However,thismethodleadto
therealizationthattheseatingwouldbeonanelevatedplaneinsomeparts,eliminatingeasy
accesstothosewhowheelchairsorincapableofsteppingontoanunleveledplane.An
alternativedesignthatplacedtheseatingonthegroundlevelofthedesignshowstheeffective
useofspacealongtheinnerperimeterofthetwoborders.Itwasconcludedthatarowof
aluminumseatingwasthemostcosteffectiveandefficientwaytoimplementseatingthatwas
accessibletoall.Eventhoughtheinitialseatingplanwasspaceeffective,allowingfor
maximumareaofplay,thealternativedesignwasmorefavorablewhenconsideringthemain
goaloftheproject;toofferallinclusiveequipment.

Figure10:Seating

Figure11:Trees

Sinceuserswithmobilityimpairmentsposeasignificantconcernwhencreatinga
favorablecondition,alargeportionofthedesignprocesswascentralizedaroundfulfillingthese
particularstakeholderswants/needs.AccordingtotheADA,therearecertainguidelinesthat
mustbefollowedtoallowfullyfunctionalaccessforthosewheelchairs.Itwasequallyidealto
makeadesignthatisopen,flat,andaccommodatingforall.Issuesapproached,however,when
lookingattheflowoftraffictoandfromotherzones.Sincethereisaslightlevelofelevation
15

acrosstheborderingzones,arampmustbeimplementedintothedesignsothatthose
wheelchairscanhavefullaccesstotheseotherpartsoftheplayground.TheADArequiresthat
allrampsandpassagewaysmustbeaminimumof36inchesinwidth.Tworampswereputin
placeonthedesign,oneoneachborderallowingaccesstothetwoborderingzones.

Figure12:DimensionedPlans
Table4:Equipment
Equipment

Quantity

WeightofImportance
(110)

Basketballhoops

FunnelBall

FourSquare

TetherBall

EquipmentSpecifications

16

Finally,acombinedefforttoincludesafetyandequallyfunctionaldesignsintothe
equipmentprovidedwassought.Thetopprioritywasmakingsurethatalloftheequipmentwas
uptoADAstandardsandfullyaccessibletochildrenofalldisabilitycategoriespreviously
mentioned.Oneoftheideaswastobuildapedalonthebottomofaballfunnelpolesothat
whenthepedalwaspresseddownwithpressure,thetopofthefunnelballbasketwouldlowerat
aslowspeed.Whenthepressurewouldbereleased,themovementwouldstopandstayuntila
preferredheightwasreached.Theminimumheightforthedesignwas6feetfromthegroundto
theopeningofthebasket.Inordertoraisetheheightoftheballfunnel,thepedalwouldbe
pressedrepeatedly,risingapproximately6incheswitheverypump.Themaximumheightto
whichthefunnelwouldreachis10feet.Thisabilitytoraiseandlowertheheightallowsfor
inclusionofallchildrennomattertheheightorphysicalconstraintonemayhave.
Thisdesign,howeverhaditsflaws.Thepedalneededforsuchadesignwouldbetoo
largeandpossiblytoodifficultforasmallchildtooperate.Thedifficultyofsuchadesignledto
theeliminationofthesystem.Instead,astandardizedheightoperatingdeviceseemedtobemore
sufficient.Byplacingalowering/raisingmechanismapproximately3.5feetoffoftheground,it
wouldallowoptimalusebyallpotentialusers.Atthislevel,ahandcrankcouldbeplacedin
whichtherotationofthecrankinonedirectionwouldraiseitandarotationofthecrankinthe
oppositedirectionwouldlowerit.Thisdesignwouldreachthesamerelativeextremesas
mentionedabove.Additionally,thisdesignismoreuserfriendly.Thesystemoperatesona
pulleyswivelthatpullsthebasketupbyaspinningcorkscrewwhichrotatesthrougha
complexsystemofgears,resultinginamucheasierandsimplermethodofoperation.

Figure13:FunnelBallLeverage

Figure14:HandCrankMechanism

Thissystemturnedouttobeapreferabledesignwhenalteringotherequipmentofferedin
thearea.Becausethedesignallowedforinclusion,fun,safety,andeaseofaccess,itwasgivena

17

higherscorewhenusedinaparticulardesign.Inresponsetotherevelation,thedesignwas
incorporatedintootherequipmentincludingthatofthebasketballhoopsandtetherballpoles.A
cranklocatedatareachableheightwouldbeusedtoadjusttheheighteitherupordown.The
crankwouldrotatethehoopdownwardstowardsadesiredheight.Rotatingthecrankinthe
oppositedirectionwouldraisethehooptothedesiredheightfluctuatingfromheightsof8to5
feet.
Next,theareasfortetherballandfoursquareweredesignedwiththesegoalsinmind.The
tetherballpolestandsataheightthatcanbefurtherincreasedtoallowchildrenofvariousheights
toaccesseasily.Thefoursquarecourtcontainsdimensionsthatareeasilyaccessibleforall.The
factorsofaccessibilityandfunctionalitywerereviewedwhenselectingthefavorabledesignfor
thesecontributions.

Figure15:BasketballHoopHeightFigure16:OpenSpaceActivities

Figure17:Equal

18

ResultsandDiscussions:[
Thefinaldesignconsistsofthemostfavorableconditionsthatwerereachedthroughthe
previouslymentionedselectionprocess.Variousaspectssuchassafety,inclusiveness,
durability,andefficiencywereevaluatedwhenestablishingafinaldesign.Theprototypethat
yieldsthebestresultsisprototypethree.Thisprototypeallowsforthemostinclusive
playgroundwhilemaintainingfullfunctionalityandcreativitythatplaygroundsallow.The
surfaceofprototypethreeisasyntheticrubberlikesubstancethatishardenoughforwheelchairs
andcrutchestoaccess,alsoallowingballsandchalktobeusedwhilebeingsoftenoughtohelp
breakhardfallsandpreventinginjuries.Alltheballstructures,whichincludebasketball,tether
ball,andfunnelballfeatureacranktoraiseandlowertheobjecttoadesiredheight.Thiscrank
isapproximatelythreefeetoffthegroundallowingforchildrentouseitwithouttheneedoftheir
parents.Creativityofchildrenwillbeinspiredthroughopenareaswithaccesstochalk.This
chalkcouldbeusedtocreategamesfromtheimaginationorgamesthatarealreadywellknown.
Foursquarewillbepaintedontothesurface.Theballsattheplaygroundwillfeatureaformof
soundastheymove.Thebasketballcouldhavesmallmetalballsinsidethatareaudible.The
tetherballwillhaveholesthataredesignedtowhistleastheballmoves.Funnelballcould
featureasimilarsystemtothebasketball.Eachstructurewillbemadefromanoncorrosive
metal.Anoncorrosivemetalallowsforminimalchanceofequipmentbreaking,whilereducing
theupkeepoftheplayground.Theseatingforguestsismadeoutofaluminum.Aluminumhas
highstrengthandisdurable.Forshadetreeswillbeplantedbehindsomeareasofseating.
Currentplaygroundsthatinvolvetheuseofballsarenotveryaccommodating.Most
havepermanentheightsfortheirstructures.Theirballsareregularballsthatgivenoaudible
cuestosomeonewhomightbevisuallyimpaired.Inmanycasesthesurfacesareonlyhard,with
noconsiderationtothechildrenssafety.Shadeisalsoararethingtofindwithmanysimilar
playgroundsarejustopenareaswithnotrees.
Conclusion:
Theprocesstogettothefinalprototypewasfeaturedbysafety,inclusionofeveryone,
andtheusageofarea.Safetywasoneofthemostimportantdetailstoanalyzefortheplayground
becauseitcreatesanenvironmentwherechildrenandparentscanfeelsafe.Thesafetymeasures
startwithhavingthesoftground.Thismeansthatifchildrenfallonitthepossibilityofthem
gettinghurtisloweredbuttheusageoftheplaygrounddoesnotchange.Additionally,thereare
noactivitiesthatrequirechildrentobeanywhereabovetheground.Thisdecreasesthe
possibilityofthemfallingdown.Finally,thecrankthatisaddedtothebasketball,tetherball,and
funnelballwaschosenbecauseitisveryeasytouseandthechildrenwouldnotbeabletojam
19

theirfingers.Theinclusionofeveryonewasalsoamainpointofdiscussion.Itwassolvedby
choosingthefiveactivitiesthatwerechosenbecausetheycanallbeplayedbymostpeople.
Also,thegameballsweredesignedtomakenoisessothatchildrenwitheyeproblemscanalso
beabletoplayintheplayground.Finally,theusageoftheareawasresolvedwiththethird
prototypeandplacedintothemultipurposezone.Theareawasdesignedsothattheactivitiesdid
notinterferewitheachother.Thismadeeverysinglegametobeabletobeusedatitsfullest
effect.
Thefirstproblemthatwasconfrontedwhiledesigningtheplaygroundforthechildren
wasthattheareahadaninclination.Thiswasaproblembecausethegamesassignedtothis
certainareaareballgames,andballgamesarehardtoplayinanareathatisnotleveled.The
firstdesignwastodigtheentireareauntilitwasatgroundlevel,butthentheentiredirtwould
gotowaste.Thefirstdesignwasanalyzedandaconclusionwasmadethatthemeanelevation
wastwofeet.Therefore,fortheseconddesign,therewasdiggingfortheareaswiththreeand
fourfeetofelevation.Thedirtthatwascollectedfromdiggingwasplacedintotheareasthathad
noelevationandonefootofelevation.Thiscreatedanalmostperfectlyleveledareaforwhich
theextradirtcouldberemovedifthatwerethecaseoralittleextradirtcouldbeboughtifthat
werethecase.
Therewasasecondproblempresentedwhentheborderinggroupsdidnotwanttolevel
theirareastotheheightoftwofeet.Thisproblemwassolvedtoasatisfyingandfulfillingeffect,
butnottoitsfullestextent.Itwasasetbackbecausetheterrainthatwaswastedthroughoutthe
topandleftbordersofthearea.Sincetheborderingdidnotwanttocollaboratewiththeleveling,
thebordershadtobeatthesameheightastheotherareas.Therewerebleachersaddedtothe
bordersthatwerenotleveledsothattheparentscouldwatchtheirkids,buttheareacouldhave
beenusedinamoreefficientway.Fortunately,theusedareafulfilledalltheneedsandwas
designedinasatisfyingway.Thefivedifferenttypesofactivitiescouldbeorganizedinaway
thatmakesthembeapartfromtherestsothattherearenodistractionswhileplaying,butclose
enoughtonotwasteanyspace.
Forfutureresearchitwouldbeveryeffectivetounderstandwhatnewactivitiescouldbe
usedforchildrenwithalldisabilities.Itisverydifficulttoincorporategamesthatcouldinvolve
childrenwithanykindofdisabilitybecausetherearecountlessdisabilitiesandtheyalldifferin
whattheyaffect.Forthisreason,therearealwaysgoingtobegamesoractivitiesthatdonot
includeasmallpercentageofthepeoplebecauseitisinevitable.

20

References
R,Davies.(2011,August4).WelcomingChildrenwithAutismonYourPlayground.Retrieved
fromhttp://www.vabir.org/childrenautismplaygroundsimpleplanningtips/
GetGoingActiveIdeasforDisabledKids.(n.d.)Retrievedfrom
http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/disabilityactivitieskids.aspx
GrantsforPlaygroundEquipment.(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttp://cvsnider.com/playgroundgrants/
Hartley,J.(2014,August19).StateCollegeseeksinputonHolmesFosterParkimprovements.
Retrievedfromhttp://www.centredaily.com/news/article42860088.html
O'Shea,K.(2013,August15).HowWeCametoPlay:TheHistoryofPlaygrounds.Retrieved
fromhttps://savingplaces.org/stories/howwecametoplaythehistoryof
playgrounds/#.V9mW4E0whaQ
Pardee,M.,Gillman,A.,&Larson,C.(2005).CommunityInvestmentCollaborativeforKids
(Vol.4,ResourceGuide).NewYork,NY:LocalInitiativesSupport
Corporation/CommunityInvestmentCollaborativeforKids.
PlayBoundPouredinPlaceRubberPlaygroundSurface|SurfaceAmerica.(n.d.).Retrieved
fromhttp://www.surfaceamerica.com/product/playgroundsurfacing/playboundpoured
inplace/
PublicPlaygroundAccessibility.(2012,March12).Retrievedfrom
http://www.gametime.com/images/uploads/general_docs/ADAChecklist.pdf
Scribner,H.(2014).10CommonDisabilitiesAmericanChildrenHave.Retrievedfrom
http://national.deseretnews.com/article/2190/10commondisabilitiesamericanchildren
have.html
Tanner,L.(2014,August18).DisabilitiesinKidsRise;NotPhysicalProblems.Retrievedfrom
bigstory.ap.org/article/disabiliteskidsrisenotphysicalproblems

21

Appendices
AppendixA:GivenConditions

22

AppendixB:Questionnaire

Playground Questionnaire
2016
1. What types of equipment would you like to see on a new
playground?
2. What is the most important part of a playground, to you?
3. What types of safety precautions should be included in a
playground design?
4. What is one thing you dont like about existing playgrounds?
5. Do you have a disability? (Circle one)
Yes

No

prefer not to answer

6. Gender:
Male

Female

prefer not to answer

7. Age:
_________
8. How many people are in your family?

____________

9. Family Income? __________

10.

How often do you visit a playground?

AppendixC:Model[thisgoesinbodyofreport,notappendix]

23

24

Content

Front Matter
no cover
needed

Text

Title Page
Abstract
(bullet
points
allowed)
Table of
Contents
AND Tables
and Figures
List
Executive
Summary
(bullet
points
allowed)
Detailed
Introduction
in Main Body
(minimum
bullet
points)
Methods,
Assumptions,
and
Procedures
in Main Body
(minimum
bullet
points)

Mechanics

Text and
Back Matter
no cover
needed
Submit
WORD DOCX
Electronic
File

Results and
Discussion in
Main Body
(minimum
bullet
points)
Conclusions
in Main Body
(minimum
bullet
points)
References,
Appendices

see ANSI format

problem statement
resolution proposed
success or not, and to what degree

1
3

see ANSI format

see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_summary and ANSI

format for differences between this and abstract
problem statement
resolution proposed (more detail than abstract, but not
as much as in body of report)
success or not, and to what degree
identifies client and other stakeholders
describes current situation/state of the art (literature
review, existing conditions)
describes and compares preferred situations for client
and each group of stakeholders
states/defines problem being addressed in general
how needs of stakeholders were identified from
analysis of general problem fabricated
how specifications were defined/associated with
needsestablishes assessment criteria (what is
measured, what instruments are used, what target
values are being sought) for performance of product
being investigated
tabulation of needs versus specified materials/methods
sorting/scoring procedures (how did you pick this
alternative over the series of iterations you
performed?)
details final proposed resolution (what it does, how it
works with existing systems, what its made from),
compares proposed resolution to existing performance

summarizes process leading to proposed resolution

reviews to what extent problem was solved
possible directions for future research

corresponds with in-text citations

page numbering
use of ANSI format for overall organization and section
headings
APA for citations, figures, tables, reference list,
appendices

25

TOTAL

+2 bonus for advance organizer/summary structure, -2 penalty for grammar/spelling

26

17