WPS Agrees to Fix Warwick Neck Playground ADA Access

WARWICK, RI — The Warwick School District has agreed to make the entrance to the Warwick Neck Playground ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible, improving access to people with disabilities in an agreement with the United States, adhering to federal law.

Zachary A. Cunha, United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, announced the agreement with the district Monday.

“When we were contacted by the US Attorney’s office and notified of the issue we worked collaboratively with them to quickly address their concerns to ensure that all children have equal access to the playground.  We are unaware of any additional issues but, as always, will continue to work hard to ensure that all stakeholders have equal access to our facilities,” said Warwick Public Schools Superintendent Lynn Dambruch when asked about the agreement.

Dambruch did not respond when asked if the district had first heard about the issue from Cunha’s office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island received a complaint that a 2019 improvement to the playground had not made the area properly accessible.

Warwick Neck and Lippitt Elementary Schools’ playgrounds were the first to get improvements in a district-wide upgrade of school playgrounds in 2020, thanks to a $6,180,902 release of the $40 million school improvement bond approved in 2018. Lippitt Playground and Warwick Neck playground each cost $150,000.

During interviews in 2020 with Steven Gothberg, director of Buildings and Grounds for the district and the director of the project, ADA accessibility was mentioned as a design concern with Lippitt, and Gothberg also mentions accessibility between Warwick Neck School and the new playground as a design concern in a video interview about the project. warwickpost.com/a-tale-of-two-playgrounds-warwick-neck-lippitt-details

But those upgrades were not in compliance with the ADA, according to the U.S. Attorney’s investigation.

“In altering the playground, the School District failed to ensure that, to the maximum extent feasible, the path of travel to the playground was readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs,” according to the agreement.

“This agreement will remedy that problem, and commits the Warwick School Department to making changes that include significant modifications and improvements that will ensure that the playground will be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Those modifications are now underway,” Cuna’s office noted in its statement.

The agreement requires that School District hire a registered design professional to survey the School and create a plan for remediation, ensuring there is at least one accessible route connecting the building, playground, and all other accessible elements and spaces that are on the same site. A plan for that was due July 15. The deadline for executing the plan is Aug. 15, 2024.

Gothberg said the district will likely need that time, due to an unpredictable supply chain and their ability to schedule summer projects.