Playground Usability: What Do Playground Users Say?

Abstract

Play, specifically outdoor play, is crucial for a child's development. However, not all playgrounds are designed to provide usable space for children with disabilities. The aim of the study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of playground use for children with disabilities and their caregivers. Using a qualitative descriptive design, interviews were conducted with children with disabilities and their caregivers. Interview transcripts were reviewed and coded. The analysis process resulted in three overarching themes. Playground Experiences addressed the sensory experiences that children seek at playgrounds, the importance of creating environments that promote imaginative play and the need to provide an appropriate level of challenge. In the second theme, Playground Usability, participants described barriers that prevent access and features that promote use. The third theme, Inclusivity, focused on equal access and the importance of providing options in design. The Person-Environment-Occupation model was used to frame the findings and to identify practice and research recommendations. Outdoor play is a key occupation of children, and occupational therapists have a role in promoting usable environments for all children.

The Lived Experience of Adolescents With Chronic Pain: A Phenomenological Study

“…Since the PEO model was introduced by Law et al (1996), it has been used in multiple studies examining the connections between the personal attributes, environment, and occupations resulting in occupational performance (Broome, McKenna, Fleming, & Worrall, 2009;Cronin et al, 2013;Lyons, 2006;MacCobb, 2013;Peachey-Hill & Law, 2000;Peloquin & Ciro, 2013a, 2013bRipat & Becker, 2012;Schwartzman, Atler, Borg, & Schwartzman, 2006;Strong et al, 1999).…”

“…Previous researchers have helped strengthen the validity of the PEO model used in occupational therapy research by strengthening the relationships between personal attributes and occupation and occupations and occupational performance. Previous researchers have demonstrated strengthened relationships between personal attributes, environmental influences, and occupations and how each affect occupational performance; however, there are many weaknesses to the validity of the PEO model in a study on adolescent chronic pain (Broome et al, 2009;Lyons, 2006;Peachey-Hill & Law, 2000;Ripat & Becker, 2012).…”

Perspectives and research on play for children with disabilities

“…The consistent presence of studies related to play for children with disabilities, identified in the last years, highlights an increasing interest in the scientific community (Bulgarelli & Bianquin, 2018). Over the years, pedagogy, engineering, law, medicine, psychology, sociology, design, rehabilitation have investigated the same object, namely play, including that of the child with disabilities, stressing different aspects, such as the analysis of play development in children with disabilities , Besio 2010, educational robotics (Besio, Caprino, & Laudanna, 2009, Cook, Encarnação, & Adam, 2010Robins, Dautenhahn, Ferrari, Kronreif, PrazaK-Aram, Marti, Iacono, Gelderblom, Berned, & Caprino, 2012), adapted toys (Brodin, 1999) or accessibility of play area (Ashley, 1999;Prellwitz, Tamm & Lindqvist, 2009;Ripat & Becker, 2012).…”

4th SGEM International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conferences on SOCIAL SCIENCES and ARTS Proceedings4th, Urban Planning, Architecture and Design

“…Playing is not only one of the rights of the child, but nowadays also considered a fundamental activity for child development. In this context, it becomes obvious the importance of spaces exclusively destined to these moments, since play is not only important for the development of the child, but also a great occupation for them [1].…”