This ADA Playground is designed to engage and captivate students with various disabilities allowing autonomy, safety, and adventure for all students. Brining creative solutions for meeting the needs of students while complying with ADA regulations, Nunn worked with our design partners with NES Architects to incorporate a variety of equipment that would ensure all students would have opportunities to explore, imagine, discover, and aspire; themes that were ultimately incorporated into the playground’s entry arches. Additionally, this fast-track timeline project was completed before students returned to for the fall semester on an occupied, 150-year-old campus with minimal disruption to students who live on campus year-round.  

Our design team came up with different playground zones, incorporating textural ground changes along with self-guiding rails that students will run their hands along, following a safe path from one playground feature to another with breaks in the handrails that serve as exit markers to specific play areas. The playground was designed with bold colors for partially visually impaired students as well as different turf heights to notify them of dangerous zones, such as directly behind swing sets, to prevent injury.

The playground is spread out so students can navigate around the various rail paths, use braille wayfinding, and independently discover each section. In addition, musical instruments play structures simulate drums, xylophones, and chimes (that also vibrate) provide multi-sensory stimulation for blind and deaf students alike.

The playground has additional play experiences such as student-created tactile art pieces, swing sets for all including a wheelchair accessible swing set, a crawl pit, cyclers, shade sails and dome structures for students with light sensitivities, seesaws, and spinners. The design team worked together to make sure that students could reach features while still complying with playground equipment height standards. All playground features were geared to serve students of varied impairments while creating a collaborative playground experience.

• Fast-Track Project Completed Before Fall Semester Start
• Designed for Accessibility and Collaborative Play for Students with Various Disabilities
• ADA Compliant Playground on Historic Campus