Rubber lives on in play surface safe for wheelchairs, little feet. Keeping used tires out of landfills is one thing. Providing playground access to disabled children is quite another — or was, until a clever innovation brought the two causes together. “If you didn’t know anything about safety, what would you want to fall on?” asks Elaine Sherman, a longtime advocate of accessible playgrounds for disabled children.
Designers call this new surfacing: SMARTEElaine Sherman, who pioneered a new playground surface, details the acronym behind the product, SMARTE:
S – Safe slip-resistant mat
M – Mats covering shredded rubber bag system
A – Accessible surface
R – Reduces serious fall injuries
T – Train park staff and can easily be installed
E – Environmentally friendly
When considering accessibility on playground consider blacktop surfacing markings. They are accessible and a minor modification that makes the playground more inclusive. For more on the Peaceful Playgrounds visit www.peacefulplaygrounds.com