Inclusive water park named to ‘World’s Greatest Places’ list

Time Magazine says that a first-of-its-kind water park designed to be fully accessible to people with special needs is among the top 100 places in the world for 2018.

by Michelle Diament, Disability Scoop August 28, 2018

The magazine included Morgan’s Inspiration Island in San Antonio on its inaugural list of the “World’s Greatest Places.” Other landmarks to make the cut include an underwater art museum, a hotel where guests stay alongside giraffes and a cruise ship featuring the longest go-kart track at sea.

Morgan’s Inspiration Island, which opened in 2017, is a $17 million attraction filled with pools, geysers, jets, water cannons and a five-minute jungle-themed riverboat ride.

The park was created to be “ultra-accessible” meaning that every part of it is wheelchair-friendly. There is an area with warmer water for those sensitive to cold and special waterproof wheelchairs are available for guests, among other accommodations.

Time Magazine said it solicited nominations of museums, parks, bars, restaurants, theme parks, cruises and hotels from its staff and industry experts and then evaluated destinations based on factors including “quality, originality, innovation, sustainability and influence.”

“The result is a list as diverse as the world it reflects, with 100 entries spanning six continents and 48 countries — highlighting everything from a Texas water park that empowers kids with disabilities to a Maldives resort that’s building an undersea abode to a library in Tianjin, China, that’s almost as wondrous as reading itself,” the magazine said.

Morgan’s Inspiration Island is situated adjacent to Morgan’s Wonderland, a fully-accessible amusement park that opened in 2010.

Both parks were created by Gordon Hartman, who has a daughter with disabilities, and sought a place where she and others like her could play.

About the author

Michelle Diament is a seasoned journalist whose work has appeared in People, AARP, The Washington Post Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Gannett News Service. As the sibling of an adult with autism, Diament is no stranger to the world of disability issues. She holds a degree in journalism and political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Source Disability Scoop

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TIME Magazine Names Morgan’s Inspiration Island to World’s Greatest Places List Morgan’s Wonderland