A Place Where Everyone Can Play
During
our May 2026 visit to Little Rock, Arkansas, we discovered one of the best
inclusive playgrounds we have ever visited: Two Rivers Park Inclusive
Playground. While it isn’t a forest trail or a traditional outdoor adventure,
the incredible ADA-accessible pathways leading to and throughout the park made
this visit special in its own way.
The
smooth, winding paths made it easy to navigate the park in Kellisa’s
wheelchair. Once we reached the playground, we found an impressive collection
of equipment designed to give children and adults with different abilities
opportunities to play and explore. There were accessible ramps connecting
elevated play structures, colorful slides, musical instruments, sensory
activities, and several different types of swings. Shade structures also
provided some relief from the Arkansas sunshine.
Kellisa
has visited several inclusive playgrounds during our travels, but none had been
as large or elaborate as this one. Too often, a playground is labeled inclusive
simply because it has one accessible swing. Two Rivers Park went far beyond
that. The variety of equipment and thoughtful layout made the playground feel
genuinely welcoming to people with different abilities.
Everything
was clean, well-maintained, and in excellent working order during our visit.
Even better, Kellisa had the playground to herself. We often have
to navigate around crowds of able-bodied children when visiting accessible play
areas, but that wasn’t a problem this time.
Of
course, Kellisa is 27 years old, but she will always be a kid to me. Watching
her explore the playground, try different equipment, and enjoy the experience
reminded me why inclusive recreation matters so much.
Two
Rivers Park Inclusive Playground was easily the best inclusive playground we
have visited. It demonstrated what accessibility can look like when it goes
beyond meeting the minimum requirements and creates opportunities for everyone
to participate, explore, and simply have fun.
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