"play equipment for the disabled"

The Aquatic Centre in the Northern Rockies Regional Recreation Centre has installed a ceiling lift system that enables wheelchair users to be independent when using the changing rooms.During the downtime in the COVID-19 lockdown, the people working at the Aquatic Centre decided to upgrade the changing room with a Guldmann GH3 ceiling lift solution. They knew that several of their visitors would benefit from this upgrade and they also knew of customers that were not able to use the facilities because they needed more assistance.Their vision was to make the Aquatic Centre accessible for a wider group of people, and they succeeded: When the Aquatic Centre re-opened to the public, the result was life-changing.On the first day, the crew had tipped a regular customer whom they thought would benefit from the ceiling lift to come swimming.The customer brought her support worker but ended up being able to do everything herself because she was able to use the new lift in the changing room.As she worked through getting ready to go for a swim, she used the lift to get herself out of her wheelchair and into the sling, changed herself, lowered herself into one of the aquatic chairs and got into the pool all on her own.She was then able to do it all over again when she was finished.Previously, a wheelchair user who wished to swim in the pool would have to hire helpers or ask family members to come with them and help transfer them from the wheelchair to the aquatic chair.Now, wheelchair users can come to the Aquatic Centre and be just as independent as the majority of the visitors.

Maintaining sustainability, without compromising on high standards for design and hygiene, were important considerations for Microsoft’s washrooms. Bobrick accessories helped realize the ideal balance of efficiency and design sensibility.

Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, UAE, relies on design-integrated Bobrick products throughout the sprawling 500,000 square foot facility’s washrooms, ensuring a seamless, harmonised aesthetic defined by stainless steel finishes and reduced maintenance demands.

Bobrick DuraLineSeries® Compact Laminate partitions are central to the first all-gender school restroom in Washington State.

Everything (and Everyone) Belongs - Slick design meets a tribal sensibility at WD-40.

As part of the airport’s massive first-phase transformation, Bobrick DuraLineSeries toilet partitions delivered the perfect balance of design, privacy and durability — and an abundance of economical Bobrick accessories delivered robust engineering and built-in maintainability.

Safety Technology International have donated protective covers to help a local community charity with false alarms at a time when they need it most.Wildgoose Rural Training is a charitable care farm in Hallow, just outside of Worcester, that supports adults and young people with a variety of learning disabilities.Starting in 2000 with just a handful of students, Wildgoose has grown into a 42-acre site with a thriving 6-acre farm where students from all backgrounds can learn horticulture, animal care, woodworking, arts and crafts, and carry out conservation work.Wildgoose supports students in a ‘happy and inclusive family atmosphere’ and focuses on teaching practical and meaningful land-based skills.One student had recently taken a liking to setting off the fire alarms in the main building at Wildgoose, resulting in frequent unnecessary evacuations.Not only did this cause a great deal of upheaval in having to evacuate the students from their buildings to the fire assemble points, but in students with sensory sensitivity and hearing issues these fire alarms caused a great deal of distress, panic and shock.On contact with STI, Wildgoose were recommended the Euro Stopper® call point covers with a sounder alarm to discourage the student from setting off the fire alarm. The protective covers were duly installed over the call points in their main building to prevent accidental or malicious tampering with the fire alarm without restricting legitimate operation in an emergency.Managing director of Wildgoose Rural Training Centre, Jim Hidderley said: “The call point covers provided by STI have reduced our regular false fire alarms from a weekly occurrence down to 0, the covers with sounders prove to be a sufficient deterrent from any mischievous hands.”“More importantly, the cover has ensured that our students are not put under any stress that is unwarranted due to false fire alarm triggering”The Euro Stopper® is a tough polycarbonate cover that can withstand the toughest of knocks and has an optional 96dB integral sounder that draws immediate attention to the area to dissuade unwanted activation of call points, therefore reducing false fire alarms.

The WPNSA is an important international sporting venue with direct access to Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay – some of the best sailing waters in the world. Since it opened, WPNSA has hosted some of the biggest regattas in the world. The latest upgrades to the facilities at the Academy were completed in 2008 and, with many international sailors and additional visiting spectators, the venue has also been supported by significant improvements to the surrounding highway infrastructure, town centre, high streets and minor roads – designed to relieve congestion and improve accessibility to the Weymouth and Portland area. ACO surface water drainage products have been extensively and successfully utilised on many of these projects.To read the full case study visit www.aco.co.uk/casestudies

Our manual foam soap dispensers transform a high-traffic restroom into a source of value.

In a facility that sees extraordinarily high traffic regularly, it’s expected that toilet partitions will endure some wear and tear. But at downtown San Antonio’s flagship convention center, Bobrick SierraSeries® solid color reinforced composite (SCRC) partitions showed no signs of aging after more than a decade in use.

A successful beta test at a world-renowned, high-traffic icon paves the way for future five-figure cost savings.

Adjustable bathroom equipments for ex-Servicemen and women. Care for Veterans, providers of long term nursing care, rehabilitation, respite and award-winning end of life care to disabled ex-Servicemen and women, have opted for adjustable bathroom equipment from specialists Pressalit in a suite of new bathrooms in their Worthing rehabilitation facility.

The 6.2m x 7.8m partly freestanding canopy has been erected between two buildings at the former independent North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham, Cheshire, which has been attracting a plethora of pupils since it became an academy in 2016.

At an architect’s new timber frame home, high racking strength and airtightness were crucial in the internal lining specification. With the installation of 240 sheets of SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT (was VapAirTight), the house achieved an air change rate (n50) of 0.09 air changes per hour at 50Pa – six times better than recommended by the PassivHaus Institute. The stylish two-storey house incorporates a range of ecological materials and systems. But with large glazed areas and two cantilevers at the rear and side, the project required a structural panel that combined racking strength with exceptional airtightness – for which SMARTPLY AIRTIGHT proved ideal.

ACO Water Management’s StormBrixx system has been utilised as part of an exemplar SuDS design for exceedance. ACO worked closely with the project engineers for Telford Co-Operative Academy, to develop a multi-functional solution able to manage a 1:100 year event plus an uplift of 30% for climate change - equating to around 1000m3 of surface water. The Telford Co-Operative Academy’s main building, all weather sports field and car park form three substantial drainage elements, which threw up a number of challenges for Telford and Wrekin Council and the project contractor Shepherd Construction

Ayr, a port town on the Firth of Clyde in the southwest of Scotland, attracts tourists with its picturesque sandy beaches, mild climate influenced by the Gulf Stream, and a view across the water to the Isle of Arran, the home of several popular whisky distilleries.For the Scottish, Ayr is particularly significant since it is where Robert the Bruce held the first Scottish parliament in the early 14th century. Today, Ayr is one of the locations of the University of the West of Scotland, which offers one hundred graduate degree courses at a total of seven faculties. In its direct vicinity is the Riverside Sports Arena, built in 2022, which is used by students of the university and serves as the training centre for the Ayr Seaforth Athletic Club. For over 60 years, this traditional club has offered almost every classic athletics discipline, as well as special programmes for juniors, seniors and disabled people.Following an investment of £8.5 million, the state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor sports arena now includes an indoor sprinting and jumping facility, a roofed stand with 250 seats, a changing pavilion, and a rugby/football field. Specially for track-and-field athletes, there is a 400-metre running track with eight lanes, an area for jumping and throwing disciplines, and a 60-metre indoor track with six lanes. All the tracks are equipped with Polytan Rekortan M in brick red, our globally established professional sports surface, which we offer in an indoor and an outdoor version. It is loved by professionals and amateurs alike for its excellent acceleration and high tread elasticity. In addition, Rekortan M is fast and offers high cushioning and excellent sport medical properties.Due to country-specific emission limit values for indoor spaces, Rekortan M is well-suited to indoor athletics facilities. Unlike the outdoor version, the indoor version contains 100% rubber granules.With 153 World-Athletics-certified installations worldwide, Rekortan M is the world’s most certified running track system. The synthetic surface celebrated its debut at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico – ever since, Rekortan has embodied high-performance running tracks for international competitions, training facilities and school sports facilities.Moreover, our digital performance diagnostics system Polytan SMART has been installed at the Riverside Sports Arena. It is suitable for both running tracks and synthetic turf system, and can be integrated into both new and existing facilities with very little effort. Once fitted, the permanently installed timing gates are available at all times for precise time measurement – in any weather and for multiple athletes at once. Developed specially for amateur athletes who want to optimise their training, the free smartphone app Smart Run by Humotion is available to download from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. The smartphone is worn in a running belt. This allows the app to make use of the sensors in the smartphone, and measure all the relevant parameters in conjunction with the SMART timing gates. The measurements are then evaluated and analysed directly in the app. These include distance, time, number of steps and step frequency, both as interim results and absolute values.For all professional athletes who want to train with as little weight yet as much precision as possible, we have made the DX5.0 sensor – weighing only 15 grams – available. This is attached to a special belt and worn on the body while training. In conjunction with the Polytan SMART timing gates, it records all the parameters, and displays and evaluates them either on the professional SmarTracks diagnostics software on a laptop, or directly in the Smart Run by Humotion app.We have installed a total of 80 timing gates in the running track, the sprint track and the long jump at the Riverside Sports Arena. Scottish Athletics Ltd, the national umbrella association for athletics in Scotland, will use the Polytan SMART-equipped facility in Ayr for national competitions in the future. Polytan is the official partner of Scottish Athletics Ltd, which is associated with World Athletics via UK Athletics. In turn, Scottish Athletics comprises 150 athletics associations that offer people of all ages the opportunity to try out various athletics disciplines, as well as train and compete – from casual jogging, all the way through to the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games.

American software giant Adobe has opted for C-TEC’s innovative SigTEL disabled refuge system at its impressive UK Headquarters in Maidenhead, Surrey.With its powerful controllers and extensive arrangement of fire telephone and disabled refuge outstations, the system is central to protecting the state-of-the-art UK offices of one of the world’s most successful software and technology-based companies. However, according to David King, Installation Manager at Niscayah Group, the company that completed the project at Market House, the installation was far from straightforward as the building already had a SigTEL disabled refuge system installed on one floor which needed to be connected to new equipment so to create one large system for the entire four-storey building.Said David: “The challenge was to interface an additional Master Controller and various outstations to the equipment already in operation. To achieve this we temporarily suspended the system and used C-TEC’s new EVC423 software to completely reprogram it once the new Controller and outstations had been installed.”Although specifically designed for the programming of larger SigTEL systems, C-TEC’s new EVC423 is also excellent for programming smaller disabled refuge/emergency voice evacuation systems.Said David: “The software proved to be a lifesaver on this particular project as it enabled us to program the entire system from scratch very quickly reducing system downtime. The fact that you can edit outstation/extension names using a PC makes programming so much quicker and easier”As a result, Market House now has a fully operational disabled refuge/emergency voice evacuation system. In an emergency situation, the system will enable clear two-way communication between building management and people located in the refuge areas to, firstly, assist rescue teams in finding people and, secondly, to let stranded people know that help is on the way.Based in London, Niscayah Group is a subsidiary of Swedish-headquartered Niscayah AB (formerly known as Securitas Systems AB). Specialising as an integrator, the company offers complete fire and security solutions for customers with high demands for security and efficient solutions.

Promat has played an instrumental part in the fire protection of the latest unit of GLP’s warehouse and logistics facility, G-Park, Northampton - providing a tailored 240-minutes fire resistance solution for Unit 4, a132,000 sq. ft speculative warehouse/distribution unit.  Situated within the popular Moulton Park industrial estate just north of the town and within 10 miles of J15 of the M1, G-Park has exceptional transport links, access to national markets, a locally skilled workforce and is home to a wide range of regional and national companies.   At short notice, the latest and final unit within the park required a solution that provided 4-hour fire resistance for the steel frame construction. Sub-contractor FAA Installation Ltd traditionally uses intumescent paints in its projects, but as this method was unable to meet the 4-hour fire protection required for the steelwork structure it was decided that boarding would be a more suitable alternative.  Promat VERMICULUX®-S and TD Boards® were specified for the project by Encon, a leading Promat distributor, as they knew that these were two of a limited number of products on the market that could meet the project’s requirements.   Promat worked closely with Encon and FAA on the final specification to provide a solution that could not only achieve the 240-minute requirement, but could also overcome the design complexities of the project, including fixing to both the structural steel and cladding rails, which most traditional boards were unable to accommodate. The completed installation demonstrates how VERMICULUX®-S and TD Boards® can interface together to create robust fire protection for warehouse and industrial applications. 

The Calvert Trust was set up to provide a fully-accessible luxury holiday home for people with disabilities and their families to stay in. As such, they wanted to make sure that any accessible equipment included in their lodges and chalets was as discreet as possible. We worked with them on their Kielder campus, and created bespoke Integralift hidden hoist systems to go around the double bed from either side. You wouldn't even know they were there! Take a look at the photos on our website.

DCM Surfaces were contracted to install the surfacing at an “inclusive” play project at Westfield Park, Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.DCM installed Rubber Mulch in various colours and depths around the play equipment on site.Different coloured mulch was used to create shapes and patterns within the park.

As a specialist in the automation of access control, Automatic Systems is well aware of the issues faced, especially in the light of recent events, and can offer tailored solutions that not only meet student and staff security needs but also the health and wellbeing of all.

A wide range of high quality outdoor furniture, play equipment and cycle parking products from Broxap Street Furniture complement the landscape at Kingsbrook View Primary Academy.

Christchurch, Newport is a church in South Wales which plays a big part in the local community. They offer meeting and conference space, host local groups, run clubs and work to help people in need. They were keen to install a Changing Places Toilet in the building to ensure that their facilities are as inclusive as possible, and they are able to welcome families and groups with disabled members, and cater for people travelling down the nearby M4. The installation was made possible by funding from the National Lottery.

The UK government aims to significantly increase the number of Changing Places toilets, designed for disabled individuals, across the country. In response, the Chancellor allocated a Changing Places Fund of £30 million in Budget 2021 to expedite their provision in existing buildings in England. Over 250,000 disabled individuals lack access to suitable public toilets in the UK, hindering their experiences in public spaces. Changing Places toilets, equipped with specialized facilities like ceiling hoists and adult-sized changing benches, address this gap. East Suffolk Council, with assistance from Care Spaces, integrated a Changing Places toilet into the redevelopment of East Point Pavilion, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards. The facility received positive feedback during its grand opening, emphasizing its importance in creating an inclusive environment. The success of this project was showcased in a Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities webinar as a Best Practice example during the second round of Changing Places funding.

DCM Surfaces were delighted to install Wetpour onto the Rooftop Terrace at Burdett Road in Canary Wharf.The affordable housing project, which rises from 7 to 11 stories, included the development of 56 residential units, amenity space, cycle parking, and a play area on the roof terrace.Four colours of Wetpour was used to create a variety of graphics at various depths around the play equipment area.

For the recent redesign of the comfort ward of in Geilenkirchen a tasteful furnishing design was chosen, combining a modern ambience with a familiar atmosphere. The bathrooms equipped for the disabled were furnished with fittings, accessories and cosmetic mirrors from KEUCO and offer patients much convenience along with stylish design.Matching the colour schemes of the adjacent rooms, the spacious bathrooms are decorated in warm tones. At the double washbasin, EDITION 400 wall spout fittings in brilliant chrome present a clear and uncluttered picture. As an interesting contrast, these are combined with PLAN lotion dispensers with an anodised aluminium finish. When a closer look is called for, KEUCO's iLook_move cosmetic mirrors with surrounding illumination answer the need. The innovative hinge design allows use of the cosmetic mirror also while seated. Aside from their timeless and universal design, with their clear contours and straight lines KEUCO products are also known for their cleaning-friendliness. Each wash area is also equipped with a KEUCO hair dryer.In the disabled-accessible wet area, patients shower with the innovative IXMO fitting, which combines multiple functions in the smallest of spaces. The PLAN railing system provides support for standing up and adds a welcome sense of security in the shower. The ELEGANCE shower basket for the necessary care products can also be easily reached while sitting on the KEUCO Care shower stool. Space for bathrobes and towels can be found in the bathroom on PLAN towel hooks.The convenience and safety of the patient is taken into consideration even around the toilet. The toilet paper holder, spare paper holder and toilet brush set are mounted at the ideal height. The brilliant chrome finishes contrast beautifully with the sand-coloured tiles. For patients with disabilities, KEUCO drop-down supporting rails encourage more independence.With their modern furnishings, the extremely spacious bathrooms in the comfort ward of St. Elisabeth hospital in Geilenkirchen demonstrate how appealingly safety and convenience can be designed.

Within the school grounds is a grassy area with play equipment that needed to be demarcated in order to distinguish it from the rest of the playground and allow different age groups to play simultaneously yet independently. We supplied 19.1 metres of 1.2m high Anti Trap Bow Top fencing, and a 1.2m high 1.5m wide single leaf self-closing gate, both finished with a blue RAL 5010 polyester powder coating to match the school colours.

We were delighted to be commissioned by Brogborough Parish Council in Bedfordshire to design, supply, install and safety surface an upgrade to their existing play area, in the summer of 2021. Equipment needed to suit a wide range of ages and as such, a large selection of equipment was included in the scheme. For older children, the Spell Hill multiplay, with its two large slides, rope bridges, towers and climbing activities, was the perfect structure. A bouldering cube provided extra climbing play, whilst perennial favourites in the form of swings and an inclined roundabout complimented the area.For the younger users, a small slide and 4 separate springers including a dog, bike, butterfly and tractor made for a fun, themed area. Given the semi natural location of the playground, surrounded by mature trees and tall grasses, a TigerMulch surface was chosen to compliment the landscape, with its bike like appearance working nicely with the surroundings.

Capstone Farm Country Park covers 114 hectares of former farmland set on the North Downs. There is a variety of habitats within the park, including ancient woodlands, old orchards, a freshwater lake, meadows and hedgerows.DCM worked on the project with HAGS, installing Rubber Mulch to the playground. Natural colours were chosen for the playground, blending in with the surrounding scenery and play equipment. Leaf graphics were created using both Rubber Mulch and Wetpour, bringing life and depth to the park.The Head of Regeneration at Medway Council commented:“Capstone Farm Country Park is one of Medway’s seven Green Flag parks. Thousands of people visit the park each year and we are delighted to have installed new play equipment and surfacing graphics for children to enjoy. I would like to thank our contractors for all their hard work.”

Washroom designed, manufactured and installed new washrooms and fitted out the reception area for the new Trampoline and Play Park at Sutton Sports Village. The team specified a vivid shade of orange throughout the centre including on the Forte SGL cubicles, Concerto SGL duct panels, SGL vanities and HPL reception desk. With accessibility a key consideration, Washroom installed two different sized washroom cubicles; one with half-height doors for younger children, disabled toilets with outwards opening doors and ensured the pilasters provided a colour contrast to the cubicle doors to assist any partially sighted visitors to the centre.

The combination of a DYNAMIK sprung, high compression, comfort based undercarriage finished in a solid (non-foam backed) vinyl provides high levels of indentation resistance from tables, chairs or play equipment typically seen in Primary or Junior Schools. The feeling of comfort is achieved by the flexibility of the new DYNAMIK Sprung base and not the top playing surface as the Vinyl is solid, therefore will not indent or tear when a point or rolling load is applied. The DYNAMIK Sports Vinyl in wood effect is easy to clean, combating drink or food spillages.

Lower Drayton Farm is a family fun farm, offering a variety of activities in the heart of the countryside.DCM installed Evo Pro Artificial Grass as part of the new indoor soft play area. Line markings were painted onto the sports grass to create a miniature sports pitch for children to play football and other ball games.The installation took place on an upper floor level, meaning the access for the project had to be taken into careful consideration when delivering materials and getting equipment to the area of works on site.

During the autumn of 2023, we installed this beautiful, natural themed new play area at St Martin’s, Jersey. This project saw a collaborative design approach with a local playground expert on the island, who helped select the equipment, surfacing, and shape the landscaping elements of the works.The centrepiece item was a modified version of the ever popular Lappset Spell Hill, where a set of monkey bars, fireman’s pole, and a different specification slide were added to the original design, to increase the play value and age ranges of who can use the equipment.Two new sets of swings, a seesaw, two spring riders, and musical play panels ensured a well balanced playground that appeals to all ages and abilities. Making the park inclusive for all, no matter their physical abilities, was an important consideration when designing the area, and the large, upright basket swing and sensory attributes of the musical chimes, together with the tasteful landscaping created a welcoming environment for all.The surfacing chosen was mix of green and beige wet pour rubber, ensuring the natural theme carried through to all elements of the design.We loved working on this project, and it was great to shape the design with the input of local people on the island. Get in touch today for any similar requirements!

We constructed new LAP and LEAP playgrounds for a large housing developer in Farnham, Hampshire, in the summer of 2022. The estate occupied a pleasant setting on the outskirts of the town, and as such timber equipment was requested to help blend in with the surroundings. The 137100 multiplay anchored the area, providing a great combination of climbing, slides, and challenging play features. A Waltz rotator, zig zag tack, seesaw, and two bay swing complete with a basket swing, 1 x flat seat and 1 x cradle seat completed the area, which is sure to serve as a well loved neighbourhood play area for years to come.

Hand Made Places were approached by Appleby Magna Parish Council to provide them with a wide range of playground equipment. The equipment was for an already established recreational ground in Appleby Magna, Derbyshire. The parish council acquired funding to expand their playground. This was done in order to encourage more children to get involved in outdoor activities. The funding was supplied by Tesco’s ‘Bags of Help Initiative’. This uses the money from carrier bag sales to enhance their surrounding communities. Working to the strict budget supplied by this great scheme Hand Made Places needed to provide a wide variety of equipment, which would be suitable for all age groups. The equipment not only had to be enjoyed as a collection of single units, but it also had to work well together. The equipment also had to integrate well with the pre-existing metal equipment which was already present on the piece of land.Our wide range of equipment which was installed created a fun and interesting trim trail. This surrounded both the pre-existing equipment as well as our Hawks Nest. The installed trim trail included: Swing Steps, Trapeze Rings, Duck ‘n’ Weave, Wobble Bridge, Rope Walk, Zig Zag, Balance Beam and Stepping Stones. These pieces of equipment fit the clients brief in providing a fun place for children to enjoy physical play. It also provided a wide range of equipment which will help to encourage children to develop certain important skills, including both coordination and balance. All of these products were positioned in such a way as to allow the playground to flow whilst not overshadowing the pre-existing metal equipment.Our equipment is both fun and safe for use by a wide range of children all of whom fall into different age groups. To further enhance safety however, grass matting was installed to provide an impact absorbent surface.

We were delighted to be commissioned to provide a complete playground regeneration project, for a prestigious school in Sussex. The current play facilities were starting to feel dates, and the school wanted some fresh, colourful and natural themed equipment and surfacing to reenergise the areas.3 different areas on the site catered to various age groups, and the level of challenge on the equipment reflected this. A mixture of climbing, trim trails, multiplays, a zip wire, and some tall slides will make playtimes fun for many years to come. Equally, the safety surfacing was designed to be colourful and informative, with inlaid graphics featuring windmills and electric charging points on the track helping reinforce the importance of a low carbon future.