Ann, Thanks again for your comments and the further discussion we were able to have at Leonard Springs. The new WW playground is nearing completion and we will announce an opening date soon. I have kept your comments in mind as we move forward with additional playground replacements.

Hi Ann, First off, please let me apologize for closing the last uReport instead of commenting - I understand how that could appear dismissive, and that was not the intent. uReports aren't always the best vehicle for back-and-forth conversation, and to that end, I invite you to e-mail me at tim.street@bloomington.in.gov for further discussion if wanted. I'll reply some below but am happy to converse via phone or e-mail, and would like to invite you/BDLC to participate in public feedback for our next playground replacement. The principles of accessibility and universal design are important to us. Playground installation presents some unique challenges with the incorporation of these principles. While Push Place was a unique installation, since 1991 the Parks Department has worked to improve accessibility at many playgrounds across the city, including the new Switchyard Park playground. The footprint at Winslow Woods is limited compared to some of these other parks where it has been easier to incorporate ramps or simple flat space into large-scale playgrounds. As such the submitted designs for Winslow Woods tended to be more vertical in nature. The chosen design has 13 accessible ground level components, more than any other submitted design. It also has 12 elevated components designed to be accessible by transfer. For this playground, we solicited feedback from Kid City participants and their parents, who come from all over the city. I understand the feedback about multiple slides and it is certainly something we we will keep in mind moving forward. Please feel free to reach out directly via my info above for further conversation. Thanks.