Everyone plays together
Accessible, inclusive playgrounds
READY FOR SOME WARM-WEATHER FUN? Check out Kentucky’s inclusive playgrounds, where physical, sensory and social elements enable kids of all abilities to play alongside family and friends.
Boone Woods Park
In 2024, Boone County community leaders cut the ribbon on a playground accessible per the Americans with Disabilities Act—the area’s first. “Having accessible recreation for everybody was a high priority,” says David Whitehouse, Boone County Parks director.
The playground offers plenty of mobility-friendly features, like a poured-in-place surface rather than mulch, harnessed swings, and ramps leading to bridges and wheelchair-accessible slides. But there are also lots of sensory elements—a Braille board and cranks to turn, plus musical instruments like drums and a xylophone.
When the playground opened last summer, one of the first groups to play there was All Abilities Sports NKY, which serves children with special needs. Whitehouse says it was amazing to see kids from 2 years old and up, and even a few adults, enjoying the play equipment. He adds, “We want all the kids to have the same adaptability and be able to do as many of the things that everybody else can do.”
Though the inclusive playground is a first for the county, Whitehouse says, “We’re going to continue to add more. It’s just a great opportunity for us here in Boone.”
Horse Fork Creek Park
“It’s a hidden gem,” Ross Leigh, recreation outreach at Daviess County Fiscal Court, says of Horse Fork Creek Park in Owensboro. What really sets the park apart is the inclusive playground, designed for children of all abilities to enjoy sliding, swinging and splashing fun.
Horse Fork Creek Park also offers a spray park that enables kids of all abilities to enjoy water together. Photo: Daviess County Fiscal Court
Sensory elements include a variety of musical equipment on which kids can use strikers to create different sounds. A merry-go-round and a swaying platform that simulates a back-and-forth swinging motion are both wheelchair accessible, with neither requiring a transfer. That means friends and families can play together.
“And then the best part is the actual spray park,” says Leigh. “We have a large dumping bucket, and kids enjoy that throughout the summer.”
If families need a break from all the action, slower-paced fun is nearby at the adjacent David Adkisson Greenbelt. There, a wooden boardwalk accommodating nature explorers of all abilities winds through a protected wetland.
Leigh says, “Families can be very diverse,” and Horse Fork Creek Park enables them to enjoy spending time together without boundaries.
Lake Reba Recreational Complex
“All children should have the opportunity to be able to play in a safe and inviting environment,” says Erin Moore, Richmond Parks & Recreation director and Kentucky Recreation and Parks Society board member.
Over the past five years, Moore and others have worked to ensure Lake Reba Recreational Complex in Richmond is more accessible and welcoming to people of all abilities.
Lake Reba Recreational Complex in Richmond offers high contrast colors, communication tools and more. Photo: Bluegrass Recreation & Sales
“An inclusive playground should take into account many factors, including physical, sensory and social elements,” Moore explains. Lake Reba’s playground provides accessible surfaces and sidewalks for those with mobility challenges. The colors of surface and play equipment materials aid children with visual impairments to distinguish contrasting colors. A communication board helps children who are nonverbal to communicate with others.
Additional playground features include a team swing, a merry-go-round with wheelchair straps and seating, and one of Moore’s favorites—the Unity Dome, which incorporates climbing and music, but with an accessible entry beneath for children who can’t climb the structure.
“It’s life changing,” says Moore. “Children who once had to sit on the sidelines and watch other kids play, now are able to play together and experience the joys of sliding, spinning, swinging and being creative.”
Roland Bland Park
In 2021, Roland Bland Park welcomed visitors to its inclusive playground for all—the first of its kind in Bowling Green. “We want it to be a place that helps to break down some of those barriers and create access to play for all children, no matter any sort of disability or difference that they may have,” says Cameron Levis, recreation division manager with Bowling Green Parks & Recreation.
The main playground structure includes a series of ramps and access points. There are different types of swings, plus a wheelchair-accessible glider called the Sway Fun. In a spin element, the Ten Spin, users face inward rather than outward to facilitate interaction among all of them—with or without special needs.
Roland Bland Park in Bowling Green offers accessible equipment, a Play and Learn Village with community structures and more. Photo: City of Bowling Green
At the Play and Learn Village, an area of the playground geared toward kids ages 5 and under, structures mirror those in the community, like a farmers market, a police station and a school. A music village offers a creative space with sensory elements for all ages. The recycled rubber tire flooring throughout accommodates mobility differences.
“It’s a playground that we feel really helps shape our community in more positive ways relating toward the inclusion and acceptance of people with disabilities,” says Levis.
Video Links:
Life-changing fun is one way to describe the accessible play equipment and features at these four inclusive playgrounds. See for yourself:
Lake Reba Recreational Complex
Owensboro’s Horse Fork Creek Park (dedication)
Roland Bland Park and second video
More about the Americans with Disabilities Act
According to ADA.gov, “The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities.” Learn more here.
AMY COBB is the author of two book series for children, Band Geeks and Libby Wimbley.
