accessible water park

Inside the world's first fully accessible waterpark in Texas

The all-inclusive waterpark has been designed with people with all disabilities in mind

Lifestyle Features Editor
June 19, 2017

A new water park has opened in the US aiming to be fully accessible to anyone with a disability or mobility issues. Morgan's Inspiration Island in San Antonio, Texas, describes itself as the world's first all-inclusive splash park, and even offers free entry for anyone with a special need.

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Designed to cater for everyone regardless of their ability or age, the launch of the fun new splash park will be something the whole family will be able to enjoy, with the whole park entirely wheelchair accessible so no one has to miss out on the fun.

morgans inspiration island 1

Morgan's Inspiration Island has opened in San Antonio, Texas

The site features six attractions including a wheelchair-accessible jungle-themed river boat ride and five tropical-themed "splash pads" that include fun water cannons, jets and "tipping buckets", as well as a seven-storey lighthouse with a rotating beacon on top. But guests needn't worry about damaging their own wheelchairs; the park offers special lightweight waterproof wheelchairs for free on a first come first served basis, along with waterproof buggies and manual wheelchairs.

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Other services available include special wristbands that allow parents to track their children in case they wander off, special quiet areas for guests who are sensitive to noise, and water-temperature controls so guests with cold sensitivity can still join in the fun.

The water park is fully accessible to people of all abilities

The water park has opened as a subset of Morgan's Wonderland, a theme park built for those with special needs in 2010. Gordon Hartman, founder of The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation, which developed the park, said in a statement: "Like Morgan's Wonderland, Morgan's Inspiration Island is not a special-needs park; it's a park of inclusion. Both were designed with special-needs individuals in mind and built for everyone's enjoyment."

The water park will be open daily until mid-August and then on weekends throughout the rest of the year. Visitors with disabilities will receive free entry, with entry for adults £13 ($17), and £9 ($11) for children.

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