Inclusive Play Policies: Disabled Children And Their Access To Dutch Playgrounds

Abstract

Despite the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, many cities are still struggling to facilitate inclusive playgrounds. This paper contributes to our understanding of the everyday landscapes of disabled childhood, by investigating the play‐policy of Dutch municipalities via a mixed‐methods approach. Our online survey reveals that 90 per cent have a play‐policy, although the length and content of these documents vary extensively, and accessibility and inclusive play are often lacking. Additionally, we focus on the play‐policy of two municipalities in the east of the Netherlands. Interviews with civil servants, play professionals and families with disabled children show that municipalities willingly respond to parents’ requests for playground changes. Though resulting in tailor‐made adjustments, this also configures disability as an individual problem. Parents and policy‐makers also highlight different expectations regarding playground adjustments and investments. The paper therefore calls for open communication to avoid disabled children being involuntarily absent in public space.

A Scoping Review of Evidence-Informed Recommendations for Designing Inclusive Playgrounds

“…Children with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities both voiced a desire for playgrounds that offer adapted equipment often not found at conventional playgrounds that meets their child's needs, abilities and interests (10,47). However, studies have found a lack of specialized equipment (e.g., wheelchair accessible swings) for children with disabilities across playgrounds (12,13,15,22,24,26,39,40,52,53). Traditional types of playground equipment (e.g., slides, swings) are generally inaccessible to some children with disabilities without caregiver assistance (14), and the work of physically transferring a child becomes increasingly difficulty as children grow older and heavier (10,16).…”

“…This playground element refers to the stages involved in determining how a playground should be designed with a focus on meeting the needs of children with disabilities. Including playground users in the design process was a key recommendation that emerged for this playground element [7 out of 35 studies; (13,14,21,46,47,52,55)]. Despite research indicating that municipal playground personnel and the construction industry have inadequate knowledge regarding the needs of children with disabilities (14,52), there has been a lack of representation from individuals with lived experience (e.g., children with disabilities and their caregivers) or those who work closely with children with disabilities (e.g., disability organizations, occupational therapists) when designing playgrounds (13,14,52).…”

“…Despite research indicating that municipal playground personnel and the construction industry have inadequate knowledge regarding the needs of children with disabilities (14,52), there has been a lack of representation from individuals with lived experience (e.g., children with disabilities and their caregivers) or those who work closely with children with disabilities (e.g., disability organizations, occupational therapists) when designing playgrounds (13,14,52). Five studies have argued that the involvement of families of children with disabilities in the design process is critical for advancing accessibility and inclusion within playgrounds (21,46,47,52,55). Gaining insight from children with disabilities about their experiences with different play opportunities available on playgrounds can provide important feedback for future design as well as retroactive adaptations aiming to optimize inclusion (52).…”

Crianças na cidade em tempos de COVID-19 : reflexões a partir da investigação em espaços públicos no Porto e em Lisboa

“…Incluir as crianças na cidade, ouvindo-as sobre os espaços em que vivem, deverá constituir uma prioridade nos vários campos da sociedade nos tempos vindouros. Envolver as crianças no planeamento urbano, incluindo os grupos mais vulneráveis, passa pelo estabelecimento de um processo aberto de comunicação com os municípios (Melik & Althuizen, 2020). Muito há ainda a fazer para ouvirmos as crianças e lhes darmos o espaço e protagonismo que sempre deveriam ter sido seus.…”

Wheelchair Mobility Skills in youth using a manual wheelchair

“…For youth with and without a disability, the physical environment can act as a facilitator or barrier towards becoming physically active 12,62 . For example, playgrounds in the Netherlands are often not inclusive for youth with a disability, limiting their opportunity to be physically active around their home 63 . Through increased wheelchair mobility, some obstacle in the physical environment, e.g.…”