Tell us about Inspiration Island
About seven years ago, we opened Morgan’s Wonderland, which is the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park. It’s been incredibly successful, with people visiting from more than 66 countries and all 50 US states. People from all over the world come here to experience “ultimate inclusion”.
As Morgan’s grew, people started asking about a waterpark. Three-and-a-half years ago, the discussion started. Then, six months later, those discussions became more serious. We brought a team together, similar to the team that developed the original park. We spoke to people in the community – people with special needs, people without, care givers, teachers, doctors, therapists – and pooled our ideas.
The reason we did that was in order to maximise everything in the development of Morgan’s Inspiration Island to make sure it’s ultra-accessible. Whatever your special need may be – no matter how acute – we want to accommodate that, so that you can be a part of this park.
What’s different about the waterpark?
Many aspects are specially designed. The water, for example, is warmed slightly to allow those with muscular issues to enjoy the park. Every element of the waterpark is wheelchair accessible. We built access areas and camouflaged them with faux rocks. We have a boat ride that lasts about eight minutes. Normally, there’s a ramp that would take passengers up to the boat, but we did this without ramps. The seating area actually raises up in the boat itself. Those are examples of the small things we do.
What makes Morgan’s Wonderland and the new waterpark so special?
It’s the whole culture of the park. People come because, out of four people who enter each day, three of them do not have special needs. Our attractions are not just for the special needs individual, but for everyone involved. We want families to feel relaxed and be able to play.
Many parks are built for 85 or 90 per cent of the population, but our parks cater for 100 per cent of the population. Nobody comes to one of our parks and says, “I wish I could do that.” You can do everything. It’s been thought out and designed that way.
What other adaptations have you made?
We have two areas with tipping water buckets. Some of our guests don’t want to be dumped with water, some do. So, we created an alarm that warns people – a pleasing sound so as not to bother guests on the autistic spectrum – to let them know that water is about to drop. For those with hearing difficulties, we have a whirling sign that alerts them. When the guests see or hear the alarm, they can back away from the water if they don’t want to be splashed.
Many waterpark elements have little wheels on them, which control the amount of water coming out of the waterplay features. If someone is fragile because they have physical issues, the intensity level can be lowered so they can enjoy it.
What technology have you used?
We use RFID technology. If a visitor gets separated from their group or wanders off, their wristband relays their location data back to their companions. The RFID wristbands are also waterproof.
One thing that was very important in our planning was our knowldedge that many Morgan’s Wonderland guests come independently. They arrive in their own battery-operated wheelchairs. But what if someone comes to the waterpark and they want to stay independent? They wouldn’t be able to, because battery-operated wheelchairs can’t get wet. So, we worked with the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and other groups to create a wheelchair that runs on compressed air. It takes no batteries. It’s much lighter and easier to move around in, so guests can get around, get wet and stay independent.
We also designed chairs with special fabrics that can get wet. If someone has a muscular disability, they can transfer into one of our waterproof chairs via the hoist we have in a special changing room.
Who else did you work with on the project?
What’s pretty neat about the waterpark is that we talked about bringing people together. We didn’t go out to a bunch of consultants; we worked with a grassroots approach towards understanding what was necessary in the waterpark, working directly with the people who were going to use it. We did a lot of testing with special needs individuals, testing wheelchairs, water strength and much more.
What has the initial reaction been?
A woman who was just at the park sent me some photos of her daughter using one of our special wheelchairs. She had never been able to do that before, so it was a great feeling. Another woman sent me an email about the parents of a special needs individual who had never been involved in a water activity with their child before. They did not know how to swim, so they could not put their child in a pool. This was the first time for this young adult where they had been in the water with their family. Those are the kind of stories we hear. And for those who don’t have special needs, it’s a learning experience for them.
There has been global interest in the new attraction and we’re proud of that. We live in a world of exclusion rather than inclusion, but we hope talking more about inclusion will help change that conversation.