Landscape Structures

City planners specify Landscape Structures' inclusive playground equipment -- ramped decks, sensory panels, the We-Go-Swing, and universally designed splash pads -- so new playgrounds launch inclusive from day one, welcoming children and families of all abilities to play together.

ENABLE Model location

• Builder-side Interventions → Set Requirements that Include Accessibility
• Builder-side Interventions → Design Accessible Experiences

What it is

Landscape Structures is a commercial playground equipment manufacturer headquartered in Delano, Minnesota, that has positioned itself as a pioneer of the inclusive play movement. Founded in 1971, the employee-owned company designs, manufactures, and installs playground equipment intended to go beyond ADA-minimum wheelchair accessibility to create genuinely inclusive play environments for children with physical, developmental, sensory, and intellectual disabilities.1

The company's inclusive play philosophy insists that "a truly inclusive playground doesn't have areas off to the side for children with disabilities, or designated spaces for special needs playground equipment. Inclusive means everyone is a part of play with peers of all abilities."1 Products include ramped structures, sensory panels (tactile, auditory, visual), spinning features, musical components (Rhapsody line), climbers designed for varied ability levels, the We-Go-Swing® (the first no-transfer inclusive swing), and universally designed splash pads and shade structures.1

Landscape Structures employs inclusive play specialists and design architects -- including staff with lived experience of disability -- and has created the "Jr. Play Team," a group of children with disabilities who help test and shape new products. Their current network of thought leaders includes people with mobility disabilities, autism, ADHD, colorblindness, sensory sensitivities, and medically complex diagnoses.1 The company was named to the inaugural Forbes Accessibility 100 list in 2025.1

Why it matters

The distinction between "accessible" and "inclusive" playgrounds is central to how the ENABLE model maps this work. An accessible playground meets building-code minimums: a ramp, a transfer platform, compliant surfacing. An inclusive playground is designed from requirement-setting to ensure that children of all abilities can choose how they engage each activity, play together (not in segregated "special" areas), and develop physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally through play.1

When city planners and park districts specify Landscape Structures' inclusive equipment in their design requirements, they make an upstream decision that determines whether disabled children will be able to play alongside their peers or be relegated to watching from the sidelines. The company's six-sense framework -- tactile, proprioception, vestibular, visual, auditory, and interoception -- ensures that sensory development is addressed for children with sensory processing challenges, autism, and other conditions that conventional playground design ignores.1

Real-world example

The Jr. Play Team illustrates Landscape Structures' co-design approach. John Buettner, the team's president, is a child with a disability who provides direct input on product development. The company notes: "We created the Jr. Play Team, which is a group of incredible kids with disabilities who help us create truly inclusive playground products."1 Similarly, inclusive play specialists Jill Moore and Ariel Mansholt -- both with personal experience of disability -- "have been instrumental in shaping our understanding of how to design sensory-rich, universally designed environments that support developmentally appropriate play for all children."1

Forbes notes that Landscape Structures "has helped set the standard for inclusive playground design in North America," and the company is frequently cited in industry trade publications for its leadership in universal design and sensory-rich play environments.2

What care sounds like

• "Our playground specification requires inclusive play equipment -- not just ADA compliance."
• "We consulted children with disabilities during the design process, not just their parents or therapists."
• "Sensory panels, musical components, and spinning features are integrated throughout the playground, not segregated into a 'special needs section.'"

What neglect sounds like

• "The playground is accessible -- we have a ramp and a transfer platform."
• "Kids with disabilities can use the ground-level equipment."
• "We don't have the budget for inclusive design -- standard equipment meets code."

What compensation sounds like

• "My child watches from the edge of the playground because nothing is designed for her body."
• "We drive 45 minutes to the one inclusive playground in our region."
• "I have to lift my child onto every piece of equipment because there are no ramped options."

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