These playgrounds with purpose make fun accessible to all.
There’s only one path to enter to Kayla’s Playground in Milwaukee and it passes under this sign: “This play area is designed for ALL kids ages 5-12, and up!”
Those aren’t just words. The playground is jam-packed with wide, fully-accessible ramps, a ground-level merry-go-round that wheelchairs can fit on, special needs swings, two stainless steel slides (that face north to keep them cool), two-height monkey bars, a young children’s area, and more. There’s even a Little Free Library on-site!
Fully accessible playgrounds are having a moment across Wisconsin, where one in five people lives with a disability, either cognitive or physical. While fully-accessible playgrounds have a much bigger price tag ($400,000 versus the “traditional” $100,000), many cities are choosing to make the investment. Madison has been adding one all-inclusive playground every year since 2019.
Christina Lorey A former producer, reporter, and anchor for TV stations in Madison and Moline, Illinois, Christina has been a coach and mentor for Girls on the Run and has organized events for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
