San Dieguito Regional Park ADA Playground Improvemen
2020 NACo Achievement Award Winner
San Diego County, Calif., CA
Best In Category
About the Program
Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)
Year: 2020
Approximately 21,000 children with special needs live in San Diego county, 6,200 in North County, according to our Health and Human Services Agencyâs demographic profiles. To help those children develop their social abilities, enhance their communication skills and receive the physical benefits of gross motor skill activity and exercise, the County of San Diego needed a fully accessible and inclusive park. San Dieguito Park is a 124-acre regional park that offers a variety of recreational amenities, including: playgrounds, a fitness course, a basketball court, pavilions, a wedding gazebo, picnic areas and a fully accessible Miracle Field baseball field that accommodates wheeled devices and other special needs. The San Dieguito Park ADA Playground Improvement project replaced outdated playground equipment with an all-inclusive playground that includes a poured-in-place surfacing for improved access for youth with mobility challenges. The project was funded in part by a Healthy Play Grant from the California Parks and Recreation Society that nearly doubled the amount of inclusive play elements and increased the diversity of components that provide enhanced and expanded playground experiences for park users of all abilities.