Inclusive Play
For many, how to assess existing play areas for their ‘inclusiveness’ and design inclusion into new spaces is uncertain. Here is a short summary of some of the key points to consider in meeting your obligations as play providers under the Disability Discrimination Act (2004) and Equality Act (2010).Within the context of play, the concept of inclusive play, i.e. play for all abilities, is to ensure that the play experience is available for all and that there is no segregation or differentiation in the play experience available to children with impairments and those without. Inclusion and accessibility are also often used interchangeably but they are different and hopefully this can be clarified here.
With guidance from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) now www.communities.gov.uk, we have formulated what we beli
eve are good suggestions to enable designers to meet the guidelines of the acts and create a play space which encourages inclusion.
We believe that there are several physical factors in the design of a play space, that can be influenced easily by the designer and which can assist in making a child's play e
xperience as inclusive as possible. These fall into the following categories: access; surfacing; play equipment, seating, risk and the natural environment. Unfortunately tackling exclusion doesn’t stop at the play area gates (if you have them!). Serious thought has to be given to advertising to your communities what inclusive play provision you have, what services there are once a family get there (in terms of toilet facilities etc), transport links to the area and parking spaces in the vicinity and
the consideration of play rangers being available on a certain day/time to facilitate play. Multi-agency or inter-departmental working can significantly improve opportunities
for inclusive play.
Access
At Inclusive Play we believe that the key to a successful play area is to ensure that the design...
Surfacing
Whatever surface is selected it is important that it caters for several functions. To act as a s...
Play Equipment
Budget constraints and the need for specialist equipment are often cited as a barrier to the deve...
Seating
In general, unless the site layout dictates otherwise, always try to include seating within the p...
Risk - Yes please!
The need for risk has to be stressed and documented in any play strategy developed – maybe even a...
Natural environment
The use of natural materials and incorporating the natural environment as part of the play space ...