| The right to accessible public playgrounds is protected by the American's with Disabilities Act. This study surveyed the accessibility of 23 public playgrounds in Suffolk County, N.Y. The overall accessibility of the playgrounds and the accessibility of the equipment and routes on the playgrounds was surveyed. None of the playgrounds surveyed were completely accessible. The State owned playgrounds had the most accessible routes and the Town owned playgrounds had the most accessible equipment. The playgrounds located in Southhampton Town had the most accessible routes and equipment. An ANOVA and Tukey Post Hoc Analysis found no significant difference between the means of accessibility, by any government body or location. The size of the playground was also found to not affect accessibility. The results show that physically challenged children's needs are not being met. Occupational Therapists, government workers, parents and children need to be educated about the ADA. |
