BOUNDLESS CANBERRA – ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND

Last weekend we were thrilled to visit Boundless playground in Canberra. On our previous visit, about 18 months ago, we were a few weeks too early and the playground was still under construction. Although our ‘kids’ are really past playgrounds, I never miss a chance to see an inclusive and accessible one.  Boundless has some really lovely features which look to be making it popular with the whole community.

BOUNDLESS PLAYGROUND

The playground is located on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin and was Canberra’s first all abilities park.  This whole area is wonderfully wheelchair accessible with concrete paths and level walkways along the waterfront if you tire of the playground.

There is ramp access to the main play structure with half of it linked by ramps (there is a notice saying that the gradient is steeper than standards but we found it fine). Along the ramped section there are various puzzles and boards to explore, all located at wheelchair height.

At the end of the ramped section there is an exit which leads to the water play area.

ACCESSIBLE WATER PLAY

The water pump has an easy to turn wheel and once again allows for easy wheelchair access.

SWINGS

The park has a variety of swings which may suit children with limited ability to sit independently.

AJ took a fancy to this cute pod swing which we thought looked alien like with its green colour.

Nest swings are becoming a popular playground feature and allow a child that cannot sit independently to lie down, or there is enough room for a parent to sit and enjoy the swing with their child.

The Jenn swing (far left) offers children more support and allows a child to sit in a slightly elevated position.

ACCESSIBLE DIGGER

There are several diggers in the playground, most with seats but it is great to see one which allows wheelchair or walking frame access.

ACCESSIBLE BOAT FUN

A cute little tinnie will allow any would-be sailors to let their imagination run wild with easy access for everyone. Once ‘on-board’ there is room for a wheelchair or walking frame.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE CAROUSEL

The carousel in this playground was the hottest item on the day we visited. This carousel has a couple of seats for children who are not steady on their feet, plus three places for wheelchairs. An arm lifts up, the wheelchair wheels in and the arm is then lowered to ensure the wheelchair does not tip.

This area of the playground was taped off when we visited but as you can see from the photo the sway see-saw has good access and is spacious for wheelchair access.

FACILITIES

The playground is fenced with plenty of space within this area to have a picnic.

The bathroom facilities are spectacular (I know that my obsession is bordering on the disturbing but a good accessible bathroom is hard to find!) The large unisex stand-alone bathrooms have  grab rails and baby change facilities within. The doors are opened by waving a hand in front of the button and on exiting the bathroom the toilet flushes when the door opens.

There are 6 disabled parking places near the park and more down near the waterfront.

If you’d like to see if there is an all abilities playground near you check my extensive blog listing playgrounds around Australia and the world here.

If you’d like to find out more about Boundless you can check their website here.

Don’t forget to let us know of any other accessible playgrounds you find in your travels.