With summer almost upon us, water parks across the world will be filling up with children and adults looking for a fun way to cool down on a hot day. And thanks to this incredible new theme park called Morgan's Inspiration Island in San Antonio, Texas, people with disabilities can also join the fun!
Water parks are notoriously inaccessible to people with disabilities, but Morgan's Inspiration Island aims to change all that because it's the world's first water park designed with inclusivity in mind.
"Our goal is to provide a great guest experience in an inclusive, safe, comfortable, not-overly-crowded environment," says park founder Gordon Hartman, who worked with doctors, parents, teachers, special needs therapists, and caregivers to create an extension to Morgan's Wonderland that caters to the needs of a disabled person.
The venue offers traceable bracelets that allow parents to locate their children, and it also provides PneuChairs, air-powered, waterproof wheelchairs that families can rent for free. Every part of the park is wheelchair-accessible, and special needs kids can enter the park for free. The park even can quickly change the heat of the water to accommodate guests who are sensitive to the cold!
"Morgan's Inspiration Island promises to give individuals with physical or cognitive disorders a place where they can splash, enjoy water slides, and play without barriers," Gordon said. "[It] is not a special-needs park; it's a park of inclusion."
More info: Morgan's Wonderland
Water parks are great fun, but most of them aren't accessible to people with disabilities
All that just changed though thanks to Morgan's Inspiration Island!
The water park is the world's first water park for people with disabilities
"Our goal is to provide a great guest experience in an inclusive, safe, comfortable, not-overly-crowded environment," says park founder Gordon Hartman
The park is an extension of Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas
Hartman named the park after his daughter, Morgan, who also has disabilities
He created Morgan's Inspiration Island with the help of doctors, parents, teachers, special needs therapists, and caregivers
The park caters for people with all types of disabilities
The venue offers traceable bracelets that allow parents to locate their children
It also provide PneuChairs, air-powered, waterproof wheelchairs that families can rent for free
Every part of the park is wheelchair-accessible
And children with "special needs" can enter the park for free
The park "promises to give individuals with physical or cognitive special needs a place where they can splash and play without barriers,” Gordon said
"[It] is not a special-needs park; it's a park of inclusion"
