By Elena Acoba
SPECIAL TO THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.06.2008

When Robison Elementary School unveiled its new playground in April, a whole new world of activity opened up for Anthony Planck, a student.

"He thinks they built it for him," his mother, Jamie Planck, said in a telephone interview, "so he can play with the other kids."

That was the goal of the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute and some 40 businesses and organizations that helped in the project: provide a playground that able-bodied and handicapped kids can share.

Before, 10-year-old Anthony, who has muscular dystrophy, and other handicapped kids couldn't join their playmates on the school's original playground, which still exists.
Now he can navigate his wheelchair onto the spongy surface and right up to the play apparatus.

While he doesn't have the mobility to climb the new structure, Anthony can play with gadgets installed at a seated level. He also can frolic with the other kids under and around the structure.

The new equipment lets him "feel like he fits in," said Jamie Planck.

While exercise is important for children with disabilities, accessible playgrounds primarily meet their social needs, said Beth Lucas, the city of Tucson's therapeutic recreation supervisor.

Such play equipment "increases social opportunities for children with disabilities," Lucas said. "It helps them with friendship development."

Robison's $90,000 playground is the fourth one that the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute has built for the Tucson Unified School District. The others are at Van Buskirk, Reynolds and Rose elementary schools.

Accessibility defined
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not define playground accessibility, according to Assistive Technology Partners at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center.

Anthony Planck, who has muscular dystrophy, thought the new playground at Robison Elementary School was built for him so he could play with other kids. He was right. Photo by james s. wood / arizona daily star

However, design guidelines adopted as part of the act aim to provide access both to play equipment and onto portions of it. Designers achieve access to equipment by using engineered wood fiber or rubber turf on at least a portion of the surface on which the equipment sits.

Apparatus with ground-level activities, low platforms, grab bars and wheelchair ramps count as access to play equipment, as do car-seatlike swings, basketball hoops of varying heights and activity tables at wheelchair heights.

In a universal playground, at least 70 percent of the equipment is usable by disabled children.

Accessible playgrounds
Playgrounds vary widely on their accessibility. Here are three that local experts said provide some of the best experiences:

• Milagro Playground at Jacobs Park, 3300 N. Fairview Ave. The Catalina Rotary Club spearheaded the project to build a $750,000 universal playground. Completed in 2005, it includes basketball hoops, sand and water tables, gadget and music panels and swings. Ramps lead to a bridge, slides and a rocking platform.
  
  
• Jefferson Park Elementary School, 1701 E. Seneca St. Built with bond and other funds, the school playground has ramps so that wheelchairs can climb to two heights. It also has sensory panels.
  
  
• Rillito Center, 266 E. Pastime Road. Amphitheater Public Schools' school for students with profound disabilities has a sensory wall, sand and water tables, basketball hoops and a hill with a bridge to go on and under. However, the play apparatus is surrounded by sand.