Woolley aims to improve the design and provision of outdoor play spaces for disabled children on the premise that many managers and designers simply do not know how best to design these spaces to allow for their freedom to play. With this goal in mind, she provides some basic guidelines for how to make outdoor play environments well-suited for children with disabilities.
The author first investigates meanings and definitions of play, childhood, and disability, adopting what she calls a “now being social” model which affirms that play is not just about preparation for adulthood, but also has meaning for children in the now; that childhood is not simply defined as the process of becoming adult, but also about being a person in the present; and that disability is about social barriers that restrict people rather than individual personal problems to be pitied. The converse of this model, based on alternative definitions of play, childhood, and disability, might be the “preparing, becoming, medical” model which would focus on play merely as preparation for adulthood, childhood as the process of becoming adult, and the medical, individual concept of disability.
People with disabilities are less likely to use green spaces because of physical barriers, a lack of information, inadequate facilities (such as toilets or eating spaces), not wanting to go on their own, and difficulty of access. Social and institutional factors may also play a role, and it is important to realize that disabled people are not only wheelchair users—they may also have sight, speech, and hearing impairments or special medical or social needs. Inclusive play spaces should allow disabled children to play in them, facilitate disabled and non-disabled children playing together, and allow families to be in the space as well.
The author suggests two main ways of improving design: including disabled people and children in the planning and design of open space areas for play, and connecting planners and designers with the knowledge they need to better design spaces. She provides an overview of a few of these resources, which set down principles like ease of use, freedom of choice, access, variability, quality, and safety. At the same time she also points out that while fixed play equipment might facilitate physical development, design should also take into account other needs like those of children with autism spectrum disorders, who might need more props for imaginative play or observation points from which they can play without having to interact with others. Overall, the author espouses improving understanding of disabled children's needs by providing professional development training for open space designers, planners and managers, as well as strengthening local decision-making and policy initiatives in the UK.
Research Partner