project profile


Inspiration Island


Described as ‘the world’s first ultra-accessible splash park’, Morgan’s Inspiration Island recently opened for business to cater for guests of all abilities. Christian Guyton reports.


ENCOMPASSING more than three acres of land and divided into five themed splash pads, the waterpark neighbours Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas, an older theme park that follows the same ideology of inclusivity. Both sites are run by The Gordon Hartman


Family Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded in 2005 when Gordon Hartman sold a successful homebuilding business to establish a leisure business that could focus on including less able individuals. This was inspired by his daughter, Morgan, who suffers with physical and cognitive disabilities. The project got underway in November 2015


with construction starting in January of the following year. Inspiration Island opened on the 17th of June 2017, just over seven years after the original opening of Morgan’s Wonderland, which has itself proved to be a success thanks in part to donations and sponsorships from numerous organisations, including Ford Motors, H-E-B Grocers and Boeing.


a focus on inclusivity Hartman stresses that both Morgan’s Wonderland and Inspiration Island are not parks specifically for individuals with disabilities, but rather parks that focus entirely on inclusivity. This means that, in theory, any individual should be able to enjoy the splash pads and a river boat adventure ride that takes guests through a simulated jungle environment complete with animal sound effects, regardless of their height, weight, age or any disability they may have. Seventeen million dollars was invested in the


site by Hartman’s Foundation, much of which went into creating the five splash pads that


10 pactfacilities.co.uk


compose the bulk of the park, with waterfalls, jets, cannons, and paddling pools amongst other attractions. One splash pad, the Rainbow Reef, offers a warm-water alternative for visitors who dislike or are physically unable to enter cold water. There are no swimmable pool areas and as such the park does not have on-duty lifeguards; however, attendants are present to provide assistance and enforce the park rules. A first-aid station placed near the entrance of the park ensures that any minor injuries can be addressed quickly and on-site. In addition to the splash pad areas and the


river boat ride, the Inspiration Island also houses two food outlets, a gift and swimming gear shop, panoramic viewing deck and a seven-story lighthouse with a revolving beacon that serves as the focal point of the park, easily visible from nearby main roads. A large pirate ship complete with accessible ramp and a giant tipping bucket adorns the central splash pad, Shipwreck Cove. An air-conditioned private function room and nine cabanas overlooking the splash pads are available for rent. A major focus – though not the sole focus –


of the park is accessibility for individuals with physical and mental disabilities. There are seven wheelchair-accessible changing rooms, two of which come equipped with Hoyer lifts, and three kinds of waterproof wheelchair are available for free use on a first-come, first-serve basis. These are a basic push-stroller model, a manual self-propelled model for guests who do not require continual assistance and the park’s unique PneuChairs. Developed in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, these utilise compressed air to power movement while remaining entirely waterproof. A very limited number of these are currently available, as they are still undergoing improvements as part of the prototyping phase. All wheelchairs are colour-coded by size to ease assignment to guests.


consulting the experts Hartman’s Foundation consulted with a number of individuals and organisations to aid in the planning and construction of the Inspiration Island. As expected, the Foundation collaborated with special needs specialists,


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