From the moment you arrive at the playground at Central Park, accessibility is in mind.
Most playgrounds in Louisville are built above a bed of standard mulch. While the option is safe, cheap and common, it hinders mobility.
“It doesn't provide the rolling resistance required for motorized wheelchairs or wheelchairs or accessibility to those that are not able-bodied to walk,” said Jason Hindenach, a construction coordinator with Louisville Metro Parks & Recreation.
The playground at Central Park uses a poured-in-place rubber surfacing. It’s better for inclusive parks but much more expensive than traditional mulch. According to Hindenach, it cost $200,000 on its own.
Originally, the department and Olmsted Parks Conservancy planned to update the park’s playground and spray ground simultaneously. In order to have the funds for an accessible playground, the projects were split.
“Those decisions were really driven by the stakeholders, the neighbors; the Old Louisville neighborhood association was very vocal on what they wanted there and we weren't ready to compromise,” Hindenach said about prioritizing the accessible park.
The department worked with accessible playground equipment manufacturer GameTime for the Central Park update.
GameTime and its parent company Playcore focus on building inclusive equipment.
The city matched funds from donations to pay for the update. On top of the money spent on the surfacing, the equipment and installation cost around $300,000.
Hindenach said in order to get the correct equipment from Playtime, officials relied on community feedback. And not just from adults.
“Even the kids sounded like they wanted something that they can include other classmates or other children who may not have the same physical abilities that they have,” Hindenach said.
Equipment at the Central Park Playground is made for people using mobility aids. It includes features like a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round. It also has design elements like touch pads and sensory panels for people who are neurodivergent or have unique sensory needs.
“It helps them with their communication or cognitive skills,” Hindenach said. “You know, like puzzle games and different types of things where they make some kind of thing.”
And there are spots for kids to have moments of calm and quiet away from the playground. Hindenach said children can use the space to regroup, regulate and observe before joining others.
In an email to LPM, Olmsted Parks Conservancy director Layla George explained why it was selected for the update.
“Central Park was a logical choice because people are used to traveling there for events like Kentucky Shakespeare and St. James Art Show. It is in a densely populated neighborhood with a lot of families,” George said via email.
While George said people will travel for an accessible playground, Hindenach said the city needs more of them.
Support for this story was provided in part by the Jewish Heritage Fund.
