This document discusses playground accessibility requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It states that if a playground has 5 or more elevated play areas, it must include at least 3 different ground-level components with 2 of them connected by an accessible route. It provides guidance on assessing playground designs to ensure they meet the minimum ADA standards for numbers and types of ground-level and elevated components. Accessible routes to elevated components can include ramps or transfer systems.

1. Playground Structures
Ages 2-5 & 5-12
Playground
Surface Materials
Landscape
Furniture
Landscape
Furniture
Boarder
Timbers (ABS)
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2. (615) 669-FIT1 Ground Level Components
Fitting YOUR
Budget
As an example, this play area includes a composite play
structure, five elevated play areas with access via
transfer, 3 ground-level play components and three
types of ground activities. To meet the requirement, an
accessible route must connect at least 2 of the ground-level
play experiences present in the play area.
As the structure includes 5 elevated activities, ADA
requirements for this structure include 3 different types
of ground-Level play components with at least two
Ground-Level Component on an Accessible Route.

3. ADA Assessment of Area
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1. Assess your play area design. Identify the number and
types of ground level play components and the number
of elevated play components.
2. Determine what is needed. Refer to Table 1 which
establishes the minimum level of ground-level
components are required on an accessible route.
3. Compare which is greater. Identify the number and
different types of ground-level components and
compare with the minimum requirements in Table 1.
4. Assess how to get there. Once you’ve determined the
number of elevated play components determine the
type of route required to access the components. If 19
or fewer components are provided, transfer systems to
at least 50% of the elevated play components are
required. If 20 or more components are provided, ramp
access to at least 25% of the elevated play components
must be provided as well as transfer access to at least
another 25% of the elevated play components.

4. Elevated Accessible Routes
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• An elevated accessible route is the path used for connecting elevated play
components.
• Elevated accessible routs must
connect entry and exit points of
at least 50 percent of the elevated
play components provided in the
play area.
• Two common methods for providing access to elevated play
components are ramps and transfer systems.

5. 5 5
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