Salt Lake City just unveiled the design for a new, $2 million playground at Liberty Park. It will be an all-abilities park! But what does that actually mean? I asked SLC’s ADA coordinator, Ashley Lichtle.
All-abilities vs. ADA Accessible
“Removing any physical barriers makes a park ADA-compliant. But removing physical barriers doesn’t provide opportunities for active participation or social inclusion. This is where inclusive design comes into play (pun intended)!”
Good Design
According to the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design,* everyone should feel included, smart, independent, safe, active, and comfortable in a play area. Let’s take thrill as an example: Your thrill might be a zip line, mine might be climbing a dirt mound. An all-abilities playground allows for people of all ages and abilities to get their kicks.
*Fun fact: These were co-developed by Utah State University.
🛝 Liberty Park’s New Playground
$2 million of the $85 million parks bond passed by SLC voters is being applied to a new playground in Liberty Park. The park is made up of different zones, like a Chill Zone, Challenge Zone, and Thrill Zone. All-abilities elements include sensory gardens, a zipline with full-body support, wheelchair-accessible spin carousels, caregiver accommodations, and Braille and American Sign Language incorporation.
What Does Your Park Need?
The new Liberty Park playground won’t break ground before 2025. In the meantime, find cheap thrills at some other all-ability parks: Bickley Park in South Salt Lake, Draper City Park, Sierra Newbold Playground in West Jordan, and Magna Regional Park.
Salt Lake’s ADA office wants to know what your neighborhood park needs to be inclusive? Email ada@slcgov.com
