Rialto Opens First Inclusive Playground, Recognized as National Demonstration Site

On July 31, the City of Rialto officially celebrated the grand opening of its first inclusive playground with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rialto City Park. Dignitaries, including Rialto Mayor Joe Baca Sr., Councilmembers Edward Montoya and Karla Perez, and San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., were in attendance as the new playground opened to an excited crowd of parents and children who braved the heat to explore the new facilities.

The vision began with an email after parent Catherine Hadnot reached out to San Bernardino County Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., asking him to consider providing more ADA-compliant and sensory-friendly playgrounds for children with disabilities. Hadnot never imagined her letter would result in Rialto City Park being nationally recognized by PlayCore as a National Demonstration Site for having the first inclusive playground in the city.

Frustrated and saddened by the lack of accessible play spaces where her son Chase, who is on the autism spectrum, could comfortably socialize with other children, Hadnot decided to email Baca.

“It started with an idea. What about a park where kids with all disabilities would be able to come and have a space and a place where they feel included?” Hadnot said.

Unsure whether her email would be considered, or even read, Hadnot remained cautiously optimistic.

“This is a push inside me to want to be able to gift this to someone. If it happens, it happens, if it doesn’t that’s OK, and it will happen in the future,” she said.

Baca Jr. forwarded the letter to Rialto Mayor Joe Baca Sr., who was immediately moved by Hadnot’s request.

“That’s what caught me in terms of the letter. When you look around, there are no playgrounds for a lot of them to go out and play. Where do they go? They either stay at home, or they come and sit off to the side where there is no playground for a child with a disability or autism to enjoy just like any other kid,” Baca Sr. said.

“A chance to play will change a life,” the mayor added. “That’s so important because it could change the attitude and the behavior of a child now that they feel like ‘I’m included, I’m not left out anymore. I belong.’”

Rialto Mayor Joe Baca Sr. and parent advocate Catherine Hadnot pose at the city’s new inclusive playground, a project sparked by Hadnot’s request for more accessible and sensory-friendly play spaces for children with disabilities.

With backing from Baca Sr. and Councilmember Karla Perez, the plan moved forward. Rialto City Council members unanimously supported the project in July 2025, voting 5-0 to invest more than $800,000 in the playground, which was funded through a combination of Community Development Block Grant funding, CDBG-CV funds and city general funds.

When initially discussing plans for the park, Cynthia Alvarado-Crawford, director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services for the city of Rialto, said she told the builder something simple.

“I want this to be your favorite project, because I know if it is, you’re going to put all of your passion and heart into it, and their team did just that,” Alvarado-Crawford said.

The multicolored Rialto Parks, Recreation & Community Services logo served as the inspiration for the playground’s vibrant color scheme. Alvarado-Crawford said the colorful equipment represents the city itself.

“Rialto has never been just one thing. We are a community of different people, different abilities, different backgrounds, different journeys and every one of them is represented right here in this playground,” she said. “This isn’t just equipment and color, it’s opportunity. For a child who has never been able to simply show up and play, now they can finally just do that.”

The playground’s vibrant color scheme includes brightly hued canopies over the play area to increase shade. Additional practical design elements include shock-absorbing ground coverings, along with sensory-friendly play structures, including a “roller slide” designed to provide a relaxing sensory experience while maintaining a cooler temperature than traditional playground equipment.

Rialto City Park’s new inclusive playground features colorful equipment, expansive shade canopies and accessible surfacing as part of the city’s effort to create a welcoming play space for children of all abilities.

Other notable inclusive design elements include wide pathways and poured-in-place surfacing that allow for accessibility and independent travel for those using mobility devices. An accessible rope climber, teeter-totter with safe transfer points and wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round provide additional accommodations for children of all abilities to explore and play.

Speaking on behalf of the design and construction team at Great Western Recreation, GameTime and parent company PlayCore, Playologist Myles Harvey provided insight into the Play On! curriculum used when creating and building the playground.

“Using Play On! best practices, this playground encourages kids to do what they do — move,” Harvey said. “Throughout the playground you will find opportunities for balancing, brachiating, climbing, spinning, sliding and swinging. These six essential elements of play experience help children build strength, coordination, confidence and healthy habits while making it feel fun.”

Rialto City Park’s playground has also been designated as a National Demonstration Site by PlayCore’s Center for Outreach, Research & Education, or CORE.

“CORE recognizes communities across North America that go beyond simply building a park,” Harvey said. “National Demonstration Sites represent communities that engage their stakeholders, use evidence-based design and create spaces that are truly improving people’s lives.”

The National Demonstration Site designation also recognizes the park’s adherence to the Seven Principles of Inclusive Playground Design: Be Fair, Be Included, Be Smart, Be Independent, Be Safe, Be Active and Be Comfortable.

“By going beyond minimum-accessibility standards, the city has created a destination that supports physical, sensory, cognitive, social and emotional development of every child while encouraging meaningful interactions between families and friends,” Harvey added.

Citing the collaboration required to complete the project, Alvarado-Crawford thanked those involved throughout the process.

“Inclusion isn’t just something you announce, it’s something you build,” she told the crowd. “Right here, right now because of this council’s vision, we build Rialto’s first.”

She added, “It happened because our city council chose to invest in a playground that says one thing, loud and clear, to every child in Rialto — You Belong Here.”

Hadnot echoed those sentiments, saying she hopes to work with the city to bring more inclusive spaces to the community.

“This is the first step. This is just the beginning of more inclusive things that are going to come,” Hadnot said. “I want to be a voice for those who cannot advocate for themselves.”