Disneyland Resort Sponsors Anaheim’s First Ramped Playground for Children with Disabilities

Kevin Rafferty, Jr.

by , Communications, WDI

On Jan. 26, more than 300 volunteers from the Disneyland Resort, city of Anaheim, Anaheim Family YMCA and the community joined KaBOOM! to build a playground with accessible play features for children with disabilities in just six hours at Barton Park in Anaheim, California. The new playground is the 11th Disney-sponsored KaBOOM! playground in Anaheim, and Anaheim’s first ramped playground for children with disabilities.

The new playspace includes unique equipment and accessibility features that allow children to play together regardless of ability, including a merry-go-round style device called a Unity Spinner with seatbelts for wheelchairs. Other accessible features include accessible swings and a new-age teeter-totter called a Teeter Tunnel that includes a feature to help children transfer out of a wheelchair and onto the teeter.

Numerous features also were included for visually impaired children such as braille panels. The idea of adding accessible play features to this playground came from Disneyland Resort cast members in the CastABLE diversity resource group. CastABLE is one of several diversity resource groups at the Disneyland Resort that makes sure the experiences that Disneyland Resort provides are inclusive and relevant.

“This event is a great example of why all of us at the Disneyland Resort are so proud to call Anaheim home,” said Josh D’Amaro, president of the Disneyland Resort. “The collaboration between nonprofit organizations, the city of Anaheim, the Disneyland Resort and local residents is truly inspiring.”

Watch the special playground come together in this video!