Accessible Playgrounds: a right for every child!
A mom on wheels and her child, playing on an accessible playground area.
Every parent wants to be able to play with their children.
Before being paraplegic, I certainly was that parent who would follow her child in the play structures. I got pictures to prove it!
And then I acquired a Spinal Cord Injury. As a mom on wheels, playing with Thomas in playgrounds had now become IMPOSSIBLE.
Until I found an accessible playground!
The importance of play for children … and parents!
Playing with our children has a multitude of benefits on their brain development, as Dr Michael Yogman, MD, FAAP explains in this article. Playing together strengthens and builds a safe, stable and nurturing relationship between parent and child. We also know that the quality and quantity of play interactions between parents and children reduces the likelihood of behavioral problems (Schneider, Falkenberg & Berger, 2022).
Play helps our children in so many other ways, like learning to plan ahead, learning to speak, understanding the world, coping with stress and regulating their emotions. And outdoor play is especially beneficial in developing their balance and spatial awareness.
My accident did not take away my desire to interact and play with my son. But the lack of accessible family spaces made it really difficult for me to do so. I would bring Thomas to playgrounds in my community, and I would watch him try to climb, turn the wheels, slide down, build castles in the sand – and I would watch from outside the play area as I could not maneuver in the sand with my wheelchair. It also made it mandatory for me to go to playgrounds with him, only when I had a walker with us.
Why accessible playgrounds are important for everyone!
As a mom on wheels, I often got frustrated when getting to arenas, swimming pools, parks and playground areas that were not accessible to parents with disabilities. It also made me realise that many children were being excluded as well. And then I thought, about every parent, grand-parent or child with a temporary disability, like a broken leg, they, too, would be left aside.
As I was voicing my frustration, one of my rehabilitation professionals told me about a special playground, that had been thought of with children with disabilities in mind. This playground was in a school yard which was left open on weekends for anyone to come and play. It was delightful to be able to play with Thomas once again!
In this playground, I was able to roll everywhere and follow Thomas on the structure. We were able to play tag together. We also had access to a table high enough for my legs to go under – Thomas could then sit on my legs and together we could play in the sandbox. Thomas and I no longer go to playgrounds as he is too old for that, but since then, I have seen many communities building such playgrounds.
Although I am grateful for this ONE playground – it is not enough – as this is one playground for nearly 2 million people living on the island of Montreal. We can certainly do better! When we render spaces accessible, these spaces become welcoming to ALL!
Canada’s promise to making the outdoor accessible – including playgrounds
Canada has been leading the way to in building gold standards for accessibility. In building standards for accessibility that ensures all people can go everywhere, including in outdoor spaces like parks and playgrounds, they are ensuring that no family would have to make the difficult choice to leave one person behind.
I invite you to check Accessibility Standards Canada for more information. You can find a copy of their first public review draft on outdoor spaces.
Children with disabilities deserve to have access to playgrounds.
Parents with disabilities need to have access to playgrounds so they can play with their children.
The Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, in association with the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta, has some ideas of how to create inclusive playgrounds;
check out some ideas from Accessibleplayground.net ;
from the Rick Hansen Foundation, check out their Guide to creating Accessible Play Spaces.
Or from Kéroul, a Québec organization, check out their guidelines for des Aires de Jeux Accessibles.
I also found some interesting ideas from watching several IG influencers posting about their personal experience of inclusive playgrounds. Here are some photos to inspire you.
written by
Marjorie Aunos, PhD., is an internationally renowned researcher, adjunct professor, clinical psychologist, and award-winning inspirational speaker from Montreal, Canada.
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