Since 1981, issues debating safety standards for public playgrounds have generated considerable attention. When the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued A Handbook for Public Playground Safety, it represented the government's first attempt to upgrade and standardize playground conditions, equipment and maintenance. In essence, the guidelines focused their recommendations toward manufacturers and communities, calling for their assistance in reducing the frequency and severity of playground injuries.

Holmes Schools' Playground For All Children in Oak Park features three levels of play areas from a single platform. All levels are connected by a unique ramp system, eliminating dangerous ladders and allowing wheelchair accessibility.

Subsequent federal and state legislation has reinforced the objectives outlined in the CPSC's recommendations to implement new safety standards. A case in point, the Federal Civil Rights Restoration Act requires that any recipient of any kind of federal funding must make all its facilities accessible to the handicapped, including parks, play areas, schools and so forth. Many communities have taken necessary steps to rectify their local playground's shortcomings. Federal mandates for wheelchair accessible playgrounds have helped produce innovative alternatives to traditional play formats and equipment.

The Holmes School Playground For All Children, located in Oak Park, exemplifies the advancement of mainstreaming "special needs" play equipment in public play areas. Designed by Richard Katz and Associates in Oak Park, the Playground For All Children presents itself as a unique solution, in that it satisfies all the complex standards required for a fun and safe public play area. Glancing across the playground, there are many choices of activities: swings, slides, sand boxes and a pleasant environment for learning. Excited shouts and sounds of children at play fill the air. It's a playground specifically designed to accommodate children with physical disabilities without separating them from their peers. Here, children of all abilities are invited to play together.

The Playground For All Children concept was initiated by the Holmes School Parent-Teacher Organization. Some of the parents envisioned a playground where children confined to wheelchairs could play along with the more mobile children and interest in the idea grew rapidly.

Designing Safe and Beautiful Play Areas

The most important concern for all involved was safety. Providing a pleasant and exciting atmosphere for all children was the next key priority. Both goals achieved, the result is an environment that is challenging, stimulating and fun for all kids.

All play equipment is designed for safety, ease and comfort for the child and guardian. The swings are made from a netted hammock sling that

Specially-designed hammock swings "cradle" kids, conform to the shape of their bodies and prevent them from falling out.

conforms to the shape of a child's body and puts no pressure points on the user. Children are "cradled" in the swing, preventing them from falling out. For many children confined to a wheelchair, these swings provide an exhilarating sense of freedom rarely felt before.

The playground features lots of slides. Dangerous ladders, which are used for conventional slides, have been completely eliminated. Children can receive assistance in using the ramp system that accesses the slides, or they can use special detachable handholds designed to allow some children to pull themselves back up to the top of the slide. Two of the slides lead into a large, deep sandbox that is canti-levered to allow a wheelchair-bound child to roll up to it and play in the sand along with the other children.

The main platform is a specially-designed ramp system offering an overview of the entire playground. A special herb garden spreads across the top. Scattered throughout the playground are beautiful flower and vegetable gardens. To the side of the main play area is a small amphitheater designated as an outdoor classroom. Mature trees and a "simulated" prairie field surround it.

Playgrounds for Illinois Children

Holmes School's playground offers many benefits for all children. Its concept is well worth consideration and implementation in parks throughout Illinois. Local park districts do not have to bear the entire financial responsibility of converting their conventional play areas. Alternative funding sources include Community Development Grants from the federal government, donations from the local Parent-Teacher Organization and state and local government. The Holmes Project received financial assistance from village government, the school district and the community at large. The Elementary School District has assumed responsibility for the playground's maintenance.

Play areas like this offer disabled children a unique opportunity to play among able-bodied children — an occasion that is far too rare in Illinois. Playgrounds for all children is a concept that continues to gain wider acceptance as more individuals and communities realize the benefits they provide children and their families.

Holmes School's Playground For All Children has drawn national attention for its uniqueness and ingenuity in accommodating all children in an unbiased play environment. It has proven itself, by design, to be a safe and enjoyable place for play activities. Seeing the smiles on the children's faces as they play and learn together becomes a very gratifying experience. Facilities like this create bonds of understanding and acceptance of people, regardless of their disabilities. Hopefully, such places will be the norm rather than the exception in the future.

As House Republican Leader, I am eager to hear of your input and interest in more playgrounds of this caliber. Together, we can work towards implementing playgrounds for all children throughout Illinois. For further information or correspondence, please feel free to contact me at my district headquarters: Representative Lee A. Daniels, 50 East Oak, Suite 250, Addison, IL 60101 — Telephone: 312/530-2700.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: State Representative Lee A. Daniels, an eight-term Republican from Elmhurst, is the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives. Daniels' efforts to protect and increase the rights of developmentally disabled Illinoisans have included writing and, eventually, passage of several measures designed to encourage mainstreaming and accessibility for the disabled in public facilities. Daniels' work on behalf of disabled persons has earned him awards from recognized service organizations, including the National Foundation for the Handicapped and the Chicago-based Community Alternatives Unlimited.