Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Playgrounds Accessibility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges more truly 'all-abilities' playground equipment; city says accessible features included elsewhere
Summary
A Dallas resident told the council that planned park upgrades fall short for some children with disabilities and urged installing an accessible swing; city staff responded that design choices and grants mean accessible equipment will be installed at City Park and other sites as funds and space allow.
Mandy Strauss, a Dallas resident, told the City Council on Oct. 20 that the city's parks are short on play equipment children with significant disabilities can use and urged officials to install an accessible swing where a tire swing currently sits.
"Every child deserves to go to a park with their family," Strauss said, describing her son Joey and asking whether he could use elements of the newly designed John Barnard Park. She said the city has eight playgrounds with roughly 26–27 swings and argued the label "ADA" is insufficient if equipment is not usable by children with a range of abilities.
Public works director Jennifer Ward and other staff responded that John Barnard Park is already under contract and that the project's final design no longer included the accessible swing due to site constraints and priority selections during the design process. Ward said the city received a $45,000 grant from Moda Health for accessible equipment at John Barnard and that "we're also spending more than $1,000,000 plus to put the rest of the park together," noting the park will include some accessible play features and a basketball court.
Ward said the city and parks advisory board intentionally located an accessible swing at City Park after community engagement: "We're gonna have some accessible play equipment there. It doesn't have to be in John Barnard Park." Councilors said they will continue to consider placing additional accessible equipment as other parks are updated or when new parkland is developed.
The council did not take formal action on the comment itself; staff described the swing as part of capital plans and confirmed accessible equipment will be included in City Park and in future park projects where feasible.
