Inclusivity & Accessibility

When it comes to play, no single design solution exists to meet the variety of different abilities and styles.

Accessibility requirements are a minimum standard from which to work for more accessible and inclusive playgrounds. While existing directives focus on a particular range of disabilities, experience and research tell us that persons living with various disabilities have a vast and often dissimilar range of needs and desires. Working toward meeting the spectrum of those needs necessitates a design commitment to inclusivity.

While principles of universal design, developed for the built environment, provide useful guidance for architects of public spaces, some of them remain counter to the purpose of outdoor play spaces. For example, the principle recommending “minimal physical effort” conflicts with children’s desires to experience challenging spaces.

We must move beyond imagining pieces of equipment that can “solve” accessibility and move toward engaging deeply and situationally, within a particular space and community, to see what inclusivity means. In doing so, we work together-with our clients, with children and their families, wider communities, and advocates-through careful and creative ideas about the inclusivity of play beyond legislative requirements. When imagining playgrounds as inclusive spaces, we consider not only building for the richness of experiences which could delight children with different disabilities, but also think about opportunities for peers of different abilities to play side-by-side. We think about encounters that could be challenging and enticing for older children (a factor particularly important for families with children in different age groups). We think about spaces which offer parents and guardians chances to either comfortably participate in play, or rest amidst playing children.

The commitment to inclusivity permeates all aspects of our work, including the process of design. Here, we remember that before we can speak through the design solutions we put forward, we must listen–both carefully and attentively-to the ideas coming from others. Voices must come from all corners and sides of the diverse communities we work within.