Accessible Parks and Playgrounds in Park City

Community parks are sacred spaces for creating memories, fostering unstructured play, and breathing fresh air. These areas provide respite from relentless technological demands and offer dependable, free entertainment for visitors. The sound of children laughing, the sight of grandparents beaming at their grandchildren, and friendly conversations while little ones explore—these experiences make public parks essential for the well-being of a community.

A welcome trend is emerging in play structures. Builders are creating playgrounds accessible to everyone, from physically disabled and neurodivergent youth to elderly caregivers. To learn more about accessible playgrounds, I spoke with Jenn Seiff. She is an advocate for people with different abilities, a board member of aaccessible.org, and the mother of two sons, one of whom is a disabled teenager. “One of my son’s diagnoses is cerebral palsy, and secondary to his cerebral palsy affecting his gross motor limbs and fine motor limbs, it also affects his oral speech. He is not able to speak with his voice, but he speaks with alternative technology.”

Accessible Parks in Park City

There are two standout accessible parks in Park City.

The National Ability Center built one of the first accessible playgrounds in the state. It is located at the main campus and is open to the public. Jenn shares her family's experience. “The NAC’s playground is awesome. From a very early age, L.J. loved the platform swing that allows his wheelchair to go directly onto it.”

In 2023, Basin Recreation redesigned an all-abilities playground at Willow Creek Park. The structure is stunning and features a nature-inspired design. “Willow Creek Park is another amazing playground in the Park City area. It has ADA ramped entries on the structures for the slides. The panels for children to play with another child are low enough for a wheelchair . . . They're able to reach it, it’s right at their arm’s length.”

While visiting Willow Creek Park, I had the opportunity to witness the inclusivity that the all-abilities playground fosters. The ADA-compliant ramp leads to the top of the playground, providing access to the entire structure for mobility device users and those with stability concerns. Shade covers much of the area, and the platform swing resembles a large rocking boat. Children of all ages were giggling, and families of various types easily navigated the pour-in-place rubber surfaces. It was a living example of how Basin Recreation’s decision to build an inclusive playground unites the community.

National Ability Center Park Map

Willow Creek Park Map

Parks and Playgrounds Designed for Every Body

Jenn’s lived experience as L.J.’s mother and an advocate for people with disabilities provides her with a valuable perspective about what to look for to ensure a play structure is truly accessible. The first consideration is the ground surface. “I would love to see every playground ditch the mulch, even if it's engineered. It ends up getting dislodged. It gets on the sidewalk. It is a barrier for anybody using a mobility device. Pour-in-place rubber should become the gold standard.”

The next concern Jenn identifies is ample shade. “For kiddos with complex medical histories, shade is crucial,” she explains. “Only recently have some play structures started to get adequate shade over them. For L.J., he can't see it when there is bright sunlight creating glare on his AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) device. He can't see what he's typing, or what he's trying to say.” Shade structures are also essential for children taking medications that create sun sensitivity.

For a playground to be truly accessible, the design needs careful consideration. ADA-compliant ramped entries ensure that all children can play on the structure. Platform swings allow wheelchair users to remain in their chairs. Jenn explains why platform swings are significant play devices for her and L.J. “Now that he's almost 100 pounds, I don't have to try to lift him into an adaptive swing. He can stay right where he is. It's secure, but it's still fun.” When L.J. was younger (and easier to lift), Jenn would look for supportive play equipment that provide trunk control, like a sensory spinning wave seat.

When it comes to design, height can make a difference. “I would look for lower monkey bars, because someone sitting in a wheelchair or someone who needs to have the stability of a walker can still reach up and hold on to the bars and work on a little bit of that shoulder and upper body strength.”

A safe playground is the foundation for a pleasant experience for all family members. “I also would look for a fence surrounding the perimeter,” Jenn describes how that was a significant consideration when both her children were young. “If I were taking both children by myself, I would have to be hands-on to help transfer L.J. I want to make sure that his sibling isn't going to run out into the street and that there is some barrier. That goes for some neurodivergent kids who have autism.”

Jenn paints a picture of how carefully designed accessible playgrounds empower her son. “L.J.'s eyes light up when he sees that there isn't a barrier, there isn't another hurdle that he has to accommodate for…. To have the ramped access, the smooth surface, the shade, all of those things make him feel dignified, that there's respect for him, that he's included, wanted, and welcome.”

When a community chooses to prioritize accessible playgrounds, it is a decision with long-term positive effects. “My hope is that for future generations, these accessible playgrounds become ubiquitous. That we increase the standards not just to be the bare ADA minimums, but to go above and beyond, so that we're normalizing equity and inclusion… Wouldn't it be a better world if children with disabilities were included in everything? If you've got a neurodivergent child playing on the playground with neurotypical children, then we've normalized that.”

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Learn More About the National Ability Center