Two projects in Atlanta's Park System point the way to new and innovative uses of park resources. They also promise to make parks more accessible. Both reflect a growing awareness that we make a park easier and more enjoyable for everyone to use if we make it easier for people with disabilities to use.
Life Trails
Eight exercise stations along a trail in Collier Park are engineered to accommodate seniors and others with certain disabilities that make it difficult to use traditional exercise devices. As the stations pictured at right suggest, support for the back and hips, and low impact movements are important in the exercise regimen of older adults. 
The stations provide enjoyable strength, flexibility and balance activities that form a well-rounded fitness program for seniors. According to the census, approximately forty percent of the population will be over fifty by 2030. As people age they are more susceptible to health challenges, but adults who exercise regularly are able to maintain a healthy heart, reduce weight and high blood pressure, and avoid diabetes. They will also enjoy better mental and emotional well-being. Credit for intitiating the project and supporting it goes to Mrs. R.R. Harris, Chair of NPU-H.
Boundless Playgound
In May, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs announced the results of a playground planning effort at Wesley Coan Park. The planning involved every sector of the community, including playground users. This activity will produce by the end of the year an unusual playground at the Park. It is specially designed to encourage participation by children with mental and physical disabilities and enable them to play with other children at no disadvantage. Wesley Coan was
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| Photo: Steve Reed/The Dallas Morning News |
selected because the recreation center there is already the site of a program to promote healthy recreation among disabled youngsters. Representatives of The National Center for Boundless Playgrounds, a non-profit organization devoted to educating the public about the needs of special populations, participated in the planning. They emphasize the point that children without disabilities benefit as much as children who have disabilities from the experience of sharing their play. The use of special textures, sounds and surfaces needed to meet the needs of the disabled also enrich the playground experiences of all the children on the playground.
On a Boundless Playground--
- every child can reach the highest play deck
- play structures are configured to support children's predictable play behaviors
- universally accessible pathways and surfacing promote safe interaction
- cozy spots exist where everyone can gather or one child can engage in independent, self-directed play
- equipment like swings and bouncers have high-back support
- elevated sand tables and activity panels enable children of all abilities to play together
- Sensory-rich activities let the imagination soar
- everyone can be in the middle of fun