When children play, they are learning - developing the capacities of their bodies, exploring the material world around them and navigating the complexities of social interaction. Play contributes to children's social/emotional, physical, sensory,
cognitive, and communicative development, and participation in play is enshrined as a right of all children!
Today, we are looking at banding together as a community to raise funds to build an inclusive playground that is accessible to all children, adults, and veterans including those with all needs. Along with All Inclusive Rec
the Effingham Park District is launching a fundraising campaign that will assist in raising the necessary funds to build a one of kind facility in Effingham that will not only provide experiences for our community but will be a destination point for
many families outside of the Effingham area.
Inclusive Playgrounds
Inclusive playgrounds are play areas that accommodate children with a broad range of physical and cognitive abilities. In 2010, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was updated to include playgrounds. Now, any newly constructed or renovated public playground must be accessible to those with disabilities, to provide all children the same outdoor play opportunities.
THE CHALLENGE: Legally Accessible(ADA) vs. Inclusive
Accessible: easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with or use
Synonyms: available, reachable, attainable, operative, open, unrestricted.
Inclusive: all encompassing, all embracing or covering everything or everyone
Synonyms: broad, comprehensive, all together, global, sweeping, whole
It's said that play holds the key to a happy and healthy life. Play is a critical part of the physical, emotional, mental and social development of every child. Unfortunately, often times many children - and adults -- with disabilities are denied the opportunity for play at local playgrounds. While many playgrounds met the minimum ADA accessibility requirements, typical playgrounds pose barriers for many children with disabilities and/or critical illnesses severely limiting or making impossible for them to use
In order to be inclusive, a playground needs to be accessible, but that an accessible playground is not always inclusive.
Benefits of Inclusive Playgrounds
Inclusive playgrounds benefits all children, regardless of ability: It helps them develop a true and nuanced understanding of the world, to appreciate the differences between people and recognize the similarities that underlie them,
to be tolerant of diversity and to accept others' perspectives. By giving children with and without disabilities a chance to play together, inclusive play spaces can serve as joyful incubators of a more inclusive society,
in which children with disabilities can participate equally and enjoy equal opportunities to flourish.
Importance of Inclusive Playgrounds
For children with disabilities the fulfilment of the right to play is often thwarted as a result of both physical barriers and social exclusion. Most often, the spaces and structures set up for children's play are not accessible to
children with disabilities. The resulting lack of interaction between children with and without disabilities, in turn, reinforces the attitudinal barriers that relegate persons with disabilities to society's margins.
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Out of 1000 children between the ages of 3 and 21, approximately 85 will have some form of disability.
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Children with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities have substantially greater difficulty participating in regular physical activity.
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Youth with physical disabilities have a 4.5 times higher rate of physical inactivity compared to peers without a disability.
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Children with physical and developmental disabilities are significantly more likely to be obese or overweight compared to peers without a disability.
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Inclusive design enables grandparents and older adults to participate more comfortably. The aging population-person 65 years or older-represents 12.9% of the U.S. population, about one in every eight Americans, and is expected to grow to be 19% of the population by 2030.
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Teaching or facilitating children about similarities and differences and how to successfully play together can dramatically impact the quality of play experiences for all children. Intentional strategies to promote disability awareness provides children the tools to ask questions, get accurate information, explore their feelings, and learn how to positively interact with their peers.
Adelaide is a two-year-old with cerebral palsy. While she was born full term she was not breathing at birth, causing brain damage and other medical issues. Adelaide is a very active little girl but cannot sit or walk unassisted.
Having a park for her to play in while using an adaptive chair or walker would allow her to interact more with children her age & enjoy the outdoors like any other child. Adelaide loves all things music, especially her jingle bells and maracas.
Lily is a four-year-old with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. She was born full term but two days after birth Lily had a stroke, leading to seizures and brain damage. She uses a wheelchair and can not sit up on her own, so being able to play
at an all inclusive park with lots of interactive features excites her. Lily loves jingle bells, her toy piano and the colors purple and orange.
Alex is a 10-year-old on the Autistic spectrum who also deals with hypotonia and issues with balance and depth perception. He loves to visit playgrounds but conventional equipment pieces present challenges that discourage his
participation in activities with other kids, and also limit his engagement to smaller or "kiddie" pieces. Something as simple as multicolored stairs would make a world of difference, as the changes in depth would then be easier for
him to process. Including sensory pieces, pieces that make sounds, and ramps and inclines that are easy to navigate would be great for Alex, and remove a level of anxiety that would normally limit his activity on a typical playground visit.
Lindsey is a nine-year-old with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and a visual impairment. She uses a wheelchair to get around so an inclusive playground would allow her to play alongside other kids on the main play structure while in her
chair. She loves swinging, laughing and having fun. Lindsey loves music, bright lights, being outside and the colors red and yellow
Photos
Or contact the Park Office for more ways to donate.
