The Aspire in Clinton is a privately funded public park on over 370 acres of diverse, beautiful landscapes. There are over 22 miles of biking/hiking trails, a kayak dock and kayak rental, golfing, a Service and Sacrifice Monument, and a quite good restaurant. Included in the Aspire is the Adventure Playground at Aspire. There are color-coded zones tailored for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids.

It is listed as an all-inclusive playground, but I found that description disconcerting. I do not travel by walker or wheelchair and do not have children with disabilities, so I have no experience in the assessment of all-inclusive play areas. But most of this gorgeous, very large playground is on a hill that gets pretty steep in places. The only easily accessible piece of equipment that we could find was a small slide set into a hill. Access to the slide is via a paved, sloped pathway. There are 2 small steps to get onto the slide, which is set in the hillside. When you get to the bottom and want to get back to any transportation you may have, it is a short uphill climb back to the paved pathway.

There is a kids' zip line low enough that a parent can run alongside for safety, if needed. Swings appeared to be standard swings. Much of the ground covering here is outdoor carpet, but it was not as spongy as the Karns' ground covering. And some of the equipment is surrounded not by carpeting but by mulch. Gorgeous. But not what I would consider accessible. And no fencing. Anywhere. https://alwaysaspire.com/things-to-do-v2/adventure-playground/

Our final playground was the Ashley Nicole Dream Playground on Winona St in Knoxville. Ashley Nicole Manes suffered injuries in a 1999 auto accident that left her paralyzed. This playground was built in her honor and opened in 2005. As part of Caswell City Park, this playground was unfenced. The area was flat, and the ground was covered with spongy outdoor carpeting. There is no age limit posted. Everything in this area appeared accessible to wheelchair users or walkers. There were many slides, and each had both ramps and stairs, so a child could choose their preferred access. While there was a small keyboard with sheet music posted above it and columns of letters and numbers that could be rotated, we did not note any other sensory-rich equipment. The playground was surrounded by an inviting, paved, flat walkway. The standard swing set did have one swing that had a substantial chair-like seat. Bathrooms were accessible. https://www.knoxvilletn.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=109562&pageId=204127

What was most striking to me about these all-accessible playgrounds was how alike they were and yet how different. Only one, for instance, had a fence around it (Karns), and I would have thought it safer to prevent kids of all ages from wandering, especially wandering into a parking lot. Every kid I’ve known has loved slides, but several of these areas required climbing a ladder to use them. Two do not have seats on any of their swings. Only one had a merry-go-round with seats.

Playground equipment is expensive overall, and equipment for the differently abled is even more so. I realize there is no way to anticipate which disabilities require which equipment. When researching an all-accessible playground for Union County, I think the first task is to determine what exactly that would mean here.

So, the question remains: do we need an all-inclusive playground in the county? If so, would it get utilized? What pieces of equipment would be the best to consider that would get the most use? Can we get enough grants to build one? What do you think?

Please feel free to email me with any ideas, suggestions, or thoughts at CommunityVolunteer5398@gmail.com