THE LAST WORD:

More often than not, accommodating the disabled among us is an afterthought.

We see parking spaces for the disabled and handicapped, special bathroom stalls that allow access by wheelchairs, and ramps that provide an alternative to stairs. Though such features ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, they probably don’t go very far in helping the disabled to feel welcome.

That’s why TeWinkle Park’s playground redesign is exciting.

The project, which broke ground last week, will replace existing playground structures with “universally accessible” ones. It’s the result of longtime efforts by Jennifer and Doug Hansen of Costa Mesa, whose 6-year-old daughter, Angel, suffers from a host of birth defects that make playtime a rigorous exercise in avoiding injury.

Angel’s park will feature a rubberized surface so that a wheelchair or walker can go right up to the play equipment, as well as a series of ramps that wind throughout.

The new park, one of only a handful to be built so far in the United States, will recognize the special needs of people like Angel. It is part of a “universal design” trend by landscapers, architects and design engineers to make the fabricated environments more usable — not just by the permanently disabled, but also the aged, or someone who has a broken leg, or someone who is pregnant.

Our new playground at TeWinkle Park will be a model of inclusion, one that communities everywhere can reproduce with relative ease.