2022 California Standards for Accessible Design Guide (effective January 1, 2023)

11B-240.1 General.

Play areas for children ages 2 and over shall comply with Section 11B-240. Where separate play areas are provided within a site for specific age groups, each play area shall comply with Section 11B-240.

Exceptions:

1. Play areas located in family child care facilities where the proprietor actually resides shall not be required to comply with Section 11B-240.
2. In existing play areas, where play components are relocated for the purposes of creating safe use zones and the ground surface is not altered or extended for more than one use zone, the play area shall not be required to comply with Section 11B-240.
3. Amusement attractions shall not be required to comply with Section 11B-240.
4. Where play components are altered and the ground surface is not altered, the ground surface shall not be required to comply with Section 11B-1008.2.6 unless required by Section 11B-202.4.

Advisory 11B-240.1 General. Play areas may be located on exterior sites or within a building. Where separate play areas are provided within a site for children in specified age groups (e.g., preschool (ages 2 to 5) and school age (ages 5 to 12)), each play area must comply with this section. Where play areas are provided for the same age group on a site but are geographically separated (e.g., one is located next to a picnic area and another is located next to a softball field), they are considered separate play areas and each play area must comply with this section. ◼

11B-240.1.1 Additions.

Where play areas are designed and constructed in phases, the requirements of Section 11B-240 shall apply to each successive addition so that when the addition is completed, the entire play area complies with all the applicable requirements of Section 11B-240.

Advisory 11B-240.1.1 Additions. These requirements are to be applied so that when each successive addition is completed, the entire play area complies with all applicable provisions. For example, a play area is built in two phases. In the first phase, there are 10 elevated play components and 10 elevated play components are added in the second phase for a total of 20 elevated play components in the play area. When the first phase was completed, at least 5 elevated play components, including at least 3 different types, were to be provided on an accessible route. When the second phase is completed, at least 10 elevated play components must be located on an accessible route, and at least 7 ground level play components, including 4 different types, must be provided on an accessible route. At the time the second phase is complete, ramps must be used to connect at least 5 of the elevated play components and transfer systems are permitted to be used to connect the rest of the elevated play components required to be located on an accessible route. ◼