Texas-side playground will be ADA-compliant

Construction will begin soon

This undated photo shows a play panel similar to those soon to be installed at Grady T. Wallace Park in Texarkana, Texas. The Texas-side Parks and Recreation Department is upgrading a playground at the park to make it accessible to children with disabilities.
This undated photo shows a play panel similar to those soon to be installed at Grady T. Wallace Park in Texarkana, Texas. The Texas-side Parks and Recreation Department is upgrading a playground at the park to make it accessible to children with disabilities.

Texarkana children with disabilities soon will have a playground of their own.

New play equipment in Grady T. Wallace Park will be accessible to children who use wheelchairs and have other disabilities, and it will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Construction is set to begin "as soon as possible," Texas-side Parks and Recreation Director Robby Robertson said.

The project will replace a swing set on-site with swings that have larger seats easily accessible by children who use wheelchairs. The new playground also will include "generation swings," which let an adult and a child swing together facing each other.

The city is building a new, ADA-compliant sidewalk and ramp to make getting to the playground easy. Play panels alongside the sidewalk will put activities like drumming within reach of children in wheelchairs.

The ground surface will be a poured-in-place rubber material that is smooth and level for easy access and soft for increased safety. The entire playground will be covered by a shade port to protect users from the sun.

Child's Play Inc. of Dallas submitted the winning bid for the project. It will cost about $40,000, paid for with a Community Development Block Grant, Robertson said.

Grady T. Wallace Park is at 3419 Leopard Drive. For more information, call Robertson at 903-798-3978.

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