FORT KNOX, Kentucky — Specialty turf, a limited mobility swing and sensory games are some of the highlights of the new all-inclusive playground in the Anderson Greens neighborhood.
Lendlease communities senior marketing manager Staci Burton said the new equipment is designed to connect with all military children.
“Having an all-inclusive playground helps us continue to build a sense of community for our families here at Fort Knox,” she said. “It’s a benefit for our service members and their families. It creates a space for children and parents of varying abilities to play together and provides a variety of emotional, social and educational benefits.”
Burton said the idea came from feedback provided to resident advisory board members, customer satisfaction surveys and Army Housing Tenant Satisfaction surveys.
Burton said based on these responses, they identified areas of improvement and desired community upgrades that will enhance the overall community living experience for the service members and their families here at Fort Knox.
Families
Courtney Griggs, wife of Maj. Charles Griggs, First Army Division East, has lived on Fort Knox for two years with her three children.
Her children play on the new playground for hours once a week. She loves the new playground.
“I love that it’s inclusive because all kids need a safe, clean place to play, and this playground is perfect for that,” she said. “Every kid is the same, whether they have different abilities or not. As a military spouse, it’s important to have inclusivity and accessibility for everybody because everybody has different kids with different abilities. They all need to be able to play together in the same place.”
Madison Maxwell, 10, daughter of 1st Sgt. John Maxwell, 502nd Multirole Brigade Company, has lived on Fort Knox for two years.
“Everyone likes the playground. We never get bored,” she said. “I love how everyone can be included no matter what.”
Jade Smith, 10, daughter of Sgt. 1st Class Kyle Smith, Recruiting and Retention College instructor, has lived at Fort Knox for one year.
“I love it because there’s a bunch of things you can do,” Smith said. “I like the music part because you can pretend you’re in a band with all of your friends.”
The children said they love creating friendships and stories.
“One time my brother was at the end of the fire pole and when I came down, he was on top of me and laughing,” Maxwell said.
“Maddie and I were hanging out on the playground and her brother stole her shoe, so we stole his shoe,” Molly Griggs, 10, said as Maxwell and Smith giggled.
The girls said they love the inclusivity of this playground.
“Everyone can be included, which is very nice because it gives everyone a chance to show what they can do,” Smith said.
“There’s more than just a swing and slides,” Molly said.
Specifics
Knox Hills is responsible for maintaining 24 playgrounds throughout Fort Knox. Another playground has been targeted for all-inclusive upgrades at Prichard Place by 2026 and a third may be added later.
Burton said they worked with a certified playground company to identify the equipment and type of surface required to ensure the all-inclusive playgrounds are Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.
The swing on the inclusive playground allows for a special needs child to sit on one side while his or her parent sits on the other side.
“They could be in a wheelchair or a young toddler. It could be they’re scared of being in a swing by themselves,” said Katie Huff, project director, Knox Hills. “On the concrete side, you’ve got areas where the child could walk up or wheel up to play on the tool or the equipment instead of having to climb up into something and play on the equipment.”
The project director also added that they’re concentrating on areas beyond just the playgrounds.
“We’re focusing on bringing more diverse and inclusive areas not just to the playgrounds but throughout the communities,” Huff said. “We want to have accessibility throughout all our neighborhoods, not just in one location on Fort Knox.”
Huff, who has limited mobility, said this is added value to the community.
“It’s absolutely beautiful to be able to support the Fort Knox community,” she said. “It allows so much more community involvement. I couldn’t be prouder. Everybody is absolutely loving it.”
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