No Child Left Behind: The Benefits of Inclusive Playground Design
No child should be denied their right to play. Play strengthens the body and mind, encourages learning and growth, and increases social, communication, and problem-solving skills. Consequently, playgrounds should be an environment to foster this sense of growth for all children. In a recent survey conducted with parents across the nation, “57 percent mistakenly believed that playgrounds are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to include elements designed for children with Down syndrome, sensory disorders, and visual and hearing impairments.” In reality, however, the ADA only requires that playgrounds primarily allow access to wheelchairs or other mobility aid. Even then, playgrounds across the nation continue to harbor inaccessibility in their design. For example, many include difficult terrain to traverse for those with wheelchairs or other motor disabilities, or neglect to ensure optimal space between structures to optimize navigation for all. Playgrounds should be a communal, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all people, regardless of ability.
So, what is an inclusive playground? According to General Recreation, an inclusive playground is a “universally designed, sensory-rich environment that enables children to develop physically, socially and emotionally. An engaging place that provides the just-right level of challenge and offers opportunities to succeed.” The inclusivity of these playgrounds not only ensures that all children get equitable opportunities to play, but also builds a stronger sense of community among the families that visit.
Landscape Structures is a company that goes far beyond ADA requirements to plan and build inclusive playgrounds nationwide. They do so by promoting a “Higher Level of Inclusive Play” to ensure inclusive play projects are effective and embraced by the surrounding community. A team of designers follow Seven Principles of Universal Design:
- equitable use
- flexibility in use
- simple and intuitive use
- perceptible information
- tolerance for error
- low physical effort
- size and space for approach and use
This framework is used to design environments, structures, and buildings to confirm they can be used by the widest range of abilities.
Landscape Structures uses three elements to plan successful inclusive designs:
- Play experience: focuses on a play experience that gives children opportunities to develop physical, cognitive, social, and sensory skills.
- Variability: challenges children at an appropriate level, one that is manageable and yet continues to encourage growth.
- Safety, comfort, and access: focuses on creating a warm, safe, and welcoming environment that increases the overall experience for children as well as their families.
Here are a few examples of parks designed by Landscape Structures:
Another organization that provides a framework for designing inclusive playgrounds is Harper’s Playground in Portland, Oregon. Harper’s Playground’s mission is to “inspire vital communities by creating inviting playgrounds for people of all abilities.” Their model is simple; they refer to their designs as “radically inclusive” through several levels of inviting:
- Physically inviting: Is it accessible and adaptable? Accessibility means ensuring “everybody can get everywhere and to everything.” Adaptability means “everything is designed to suit different conditions or needs.”
- Socially inviting: Is it natural and communal? Nature provides a calming effect for physical and mental health, while open spaces encourage people to gather and connect.
- Emotionally inviting: Is it thoughtful and beautiful? Even small details can have a positive impact on someone’s overall wellbeing.
The sketch below showcases these values. It highlights a natural and accessible environment by emphasizing trees and other greenery, as well as large, flat pathways that ensure accessibility throughout.
I feel the most formative, memorable aspects of my childhood were hugely reliant on my ability to play, exercise, create, and imagine. Because of this, I believe there is no reason these incredibly important play experiences should be denied to any child. Playgrounds offer far too many benefits regarding the growth and development of children to only make them accessible to a select few. Kids need to feel welcome. They need to feel safe. They need to feel included. A playground that tends to the needs of all children, regardless of ability, is a playground that fosters a more playful, more cohesive, and more imaginative community for all.
To learn more about inclusive playgrounds, you can visit the Inclusive Playground home site, or explore an inclusive playground near you!
Sources:
Harper’s Playground: https://www.harpersplayground.org/
Landscape Structures: https://www.playlsi.com/
Inclusive Playgrounds: https://www.inclusiveplaygrounds.net/
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