When designing anything, including playgrounds, it’s important to get input from the various groups who will be using the space. For Playcosystem, we hope this will include kids and grownups of all abilities. Including future user groups in the planning process and design conversations not only helps those people have a sense of ownership and feel invested in the project, but also ensures that their individual needs are being addressed when creating it. Last week, we invited the families from Louisville Lightning—the JCPS adapted sports team—to join us for a design charrette focused on Zone 2 of Playcosystem. This area encompasses nearly 5 acres dedicated to play. This step is a part of our ongoing effort to create a nature playground where everyone feels like they belong and have a place to play freely outdoors,
With the help of the families from Louisville Lightning, we were able to come up with some great options we can implement to make areas of Zone 2 more accessible. Kids mentioned simple additions such as handrails for balance, smaller steps, and paved pathways. They also touched on how play elements at their schools and parks could be more accessible: such as a gate into Gaga Ball Pits, for those that are not able to easily climb over the walls.
We’re so grateful to everyone who came out to help us brainstorm this next phase of Playcosystem. It’s relationships like these that help propel these projects forward, and we couldn’t do the work we do without them. If you would like to be involved in future planning, or have ideas for how we might implement more accessibility and inclusion into our nature playground, we’d love to hear from you. You can direct message us on Instagram, Facebook, or email jenny.gardner@bernheim.org.
Bernheim thanks the FS Foundation for support with this program.
