Children everywhere love going to water parks, but these facilities can sometimes be dangerous for young people if they are not navigated properly. This is especially true for disabled children, as most water parks are not inclusive in the fact that they have not taken steps to ensure their rides are safe for everyone.

In fact, the Americans With Disabilities Act only requires water parks to have wading pools, leaving disabled kids with few other areas to play in water parks.

That’s why it was so refreshing when Morgan’s Inspiration Island opened in San Antonio, Texas last summer! This water park was built specifically for kids with disabilities, and the activities at the 25 acre park are inclusive of every ability level, with it being entirely wheelchair-accessible.

The six major attractions at the park are placed around a big lighthouse, and they all have a tropical theme!

One activity is a river boat ride through a jungle setting and five main splash pads.  One of the most popular pads is the Rainbow Reef, a warm pad that features a huge spouting purple Octopus.

The park was designed by Gordon Hartman and his 23-year-old daughter, Morgan, who has cognitive and physical disabilities.

“We decided to call it ‘Morgan’s Inspiration Island’ because Morgan truly has been the catalyst for every project we’ve pursued to help the special-needs community,” Gordon explained.

The Hartmans teamed up with doctors, special education teachers and water park consultant to make the park as inclusive as possible. The park even provides PneuChairs, which are new light-weight, battery-free wheelchairs created in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh.

Gordan stressed that “Morgan’s Inspiration Island is not a special-needs park; it’s a park of inclusion.” He went on to say that he would like the park to inspire people both with and without disabilities, “including individuals in wheelchairs, guests with hearing and visual impairments and even [those] on ventilators, to play alongside each other and gain a greater appreciation of one another.”

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