Hoover East Inclusive Playground

     Hoover East Inclusive Playground sits next to the Miracle League Field at Hoover Sports Park East. It is the first Me2 certified inclusive playground in the state of Alabama.  Renta Urban Land Design worked with the City of Hoover, Hoover Parks and Recreation Foundation, and Signature Homes to bring the project to life.

 

     Renta Urban Land Design always takes care to provide play spaces which are safe, fun, and cost-effective. Hoover East Inclusive Playground goes one step further to ensure access to people of all capabilities. Inclusive means designing spaces that facilitate children with physical, sensory, chronic health, social, emotional, communication, or cognitive disabilities. Approximately 85 out of every 1,000 children have some form of these disabilities. Inclusive design also allows the elderly and adults with impairments to participate in play with their children and grandchildren.

 

     Inclusive design includes consideration for accessible surfacing and routes, activities for diverse abilities, multisensory activities, wide ramps, seating and rest areas, offering activities along a developmental continuum, and combining shade and sunlight to provide a comfortable atmosphere. RULD has experience with meeting and exceeding these design requirements for successful inclusive play spaces.

 

     At Hoover Sports Park East, we used the natural slope found on the site to eliminate ramps within the play equipment and facilitate movement from the upper to lower play areas. Eliminating these extra structures saved money, which went back into the project providing more play equipment and a pour-in-place rubber playground surface.

 

     Our design also incorporates underground and surface drainage so the playground can be used shortly after a rain event. We were inspired by the Cahaba River located within 100 yards of the playground. The playground is connected by walking paths to the river.

 

     Every time we meet families who enjoy the play spaces we create, we are reminded that our work is important, and we continue to raise the bar to design more inclusive spaces for all members of our communities.

 

Learn more about inclusive play on our blog | RULD creates Alabama’s first Me2 certified playground

 

Addie is able to fully enjoy this inclusive playground design. Read how one family feels about the new Hoover East Playground

 

Read the reactions in the press: Every ability in mind at Hoover playground | Hoover to open new $500,000 'inclusive' playground at Hoover Sports Park East

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This play equipment was supplied by J. A. Dawson & Co. Watch the promo video for Hoover East Playground | Read more about Me2 certification