| PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT NEWS Access Board Issues Final Accessibility Guidelines
By: Arthur Wilhelm, Sportsplay Director of Sales and Marketing In this country, there are 5.1 million children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 14. Many play areas were designed in a manner that was not accessible to these children. The intent of The Americans with Disabilities Act was to eliminate all forms of discrimination encountered by those with disabilities. This includes all forms of architectural barriers in buildings, bathrooms and play structures. Recently, the Access Board completed its recommendations for Playground accessibility and will soon submit the guidelines to the Department of Justice. Once accepted, these guidelines will become law. The play area guidelines will apply to public settings such as schools, parks, shopping centers, childcare facilities and other public gathering areas. The guidelines will not apply to amusement attractions, religious entities, or family daycare facilities (where the owner resides). The proposed guidelines can be found in their entirety at www.access-board.gov. . |