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

Study Questions

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a variety of playground surfaces, their ability to meet accessibility requirement, their costs upon initial installation and maintenance issues over a 3‒5 year period.  The research questions include:

1. How well do various playground surfaces meet the accessibility requirements upon installation and over a five-year period?

2. What are the costs for the various playground surfaces?

3. What accessibility issues arise out of initial installation?

4. What accessibility issues arise out of long term use and require additional maintenance?