A Longitudinal Study of Playground Surfaces to Evaluate Accessibility - Final Report

Data Collection Procedures

Each playground owner identified a minimum of one newly constructed or planned playground using at least one surface material in the designated categories of study surfaces.  The playground owners hosted the playground test sites and assisted with data collection for the study.  Playground sites were limited to public playgrounds owned and/or operated by municipal parks and recreation agencies.  The name and location of the playground sites were kept confidential and only broadly labeled by county/region during comparisons to other playground sites.

Upon consent to participate in this study, the playground owner was asked to designate a site coordinator (study liaison) to work with the research team.  This individual was responsible for assisting with collecting data during the initial site visit and continued to work with NCA throughout the duration of the longitudinal study.  It was preferred, but not necessary, that the designated staff representative was a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) or Accessibility Coordinator.  In the event any non-compliance issues were identified on site, the designee could easily be alerted and initiate the agency process for maintenance or other corrective actions. 

Once brought into the study, the playground was associated with one of five categories of surface type for participation in the study:

1.         Engineered wood fiber product;

2.         Shredded rubber/crumb rubber;

3.         Unitary rubber mat/tile surfaces;

4.         Unitary rubber “poured in place” surfaces;

5.         Combination or hybrid surface systems under development.

The playground surface products considered for this study had to initially meet the requirements of the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design and the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) Accessibility Standards: 1008.2 Accessible Routes; 1008.2.6 Ground Surfaces; ASTM F1292‒99/04 Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment as determined by the surface manufacturer in laboratory testing; ASTM F1951‒99 Standard Specification for Determination of Accessibility of Surface Systems Under and Around Playground Equipment as determined by the surface manufacturer in laboratory testing.  Information on the surface vendor, specifications, costs and labor for installation was then collected.  In turn, the research team contacted each vendor to collect additional information on laboratory certification with ASTM F1951‒99. 

Nine critical areas were inspected within 12 months of installation and continue to be evaluated at least once a year for the longitudinal study:

1. Entry to playground where playground surface starts

2. Accessible route connecting accessible play elements

3. Egress point of slide(s)

4. Swings

5. Entry point(s) to composite structure(s)/transfer stations

6. Climber(s)

7. Ground level play element(s) such as spring rockers, play tables, interactive panels, etc

8. Sliding poles

9. Other areas (i.e. water play elements, etc)

Using the playground site plan and/or digital images, the research team and site coordinator identified the nine critical areas for data collection.  Within 12 months of installation, the research team and site coordinator conducted a preliminary accessibility assessment of the playground surface and tested the surface for firmness and stability with the Rotational Penetrometer.  This was considered the first site visit for the longitudinal study.  On-site assessments continued annually throughout the longitudinal study.  At the discretion of the playground owner, the playground surface was also tested for impact attenuation with the TRIAX (surface impact testing device).  The playground owner was notified immediately of test results for both the Rotational Penetrometer (firmness/stability) and the TRIAX (impact attenuation) and given opportunity to correct surfaces where deficiencies or non-compliance with standards were noted.