SplashPadHub publishes 4-tier splash pad accessibility rating system

The four tiers — Tier 1 (basic ADA approach), Tier 2 (verified accessible surface and restrooms), Tier 3 (adaptive features and sensory considerations), and Tier 4 (universal design across approach, surface, features, restrooms, and parent-reported lived experience) — are documented with evidentiary criteria for each level, permitting parks departments and families to audit a listing's tier classification against the underlying record. The publication coincides with an editorial audit of 100 high-traffic pads against the new rubric, with results integrated into the directory's per-pad detail pages.

"Accessibility is not a checkbox, and a binary flag flattens distinctions that matter enormously to the families who depend on them," the editorial team said. "The four-tier system gives parks departments a ladder to climb and gives families an honest read on whether a pad will work for their child."

The accessibility tier system is licensed CC BY 4.0 and is free for parks departments, accessibility advocates, and academic researchers to adopt, adapt, or critique with attribution. Field corrections and tier-classification disputes are welcomed via the SplashPadHub submission form.