Inclusivity

Proludic attend KIDS Inclusivity presentation

Contributing to Playfair 2009’s seminar programme, was Alex Mills, the Regional Development Officer for KIDS; the charity that works with disabled children, young people and their families. Alex Mills was there to talk about ‘Inclusive Play Design’. Keen to keep up-to-date with all the latest issues relating to play, Proludic were there to hear what she had to say, here are the main points raised, and our response to them,

‘What is inclusion? – When it comes to play, inclusion is not just about access, but also,

• Access plus respectful relationships
• Being able to do things without it being a problem
• Everyone having the same opportunities and chances to try things
• Not turning a child away for any reason

In 2005 the Disability Equality Duty Act came into being and stated that we must strive to ‘promote equality and positive relationships’. It is vital to remember that disabled children want to play too, and they must be given this opportunity. Let’s give them the same access to play opportunities as their able-bodied peers.
When designing a play area, the 3 key points to adhere to are

• Ease of use
• Freedom of choice and access
• Quality

It is not enough to simply provide access to a piece of kit, nor to install a ‘token’ disabled round about, rather, we must ensure there is also high quality play value available.
Whilst it is not possible nor necessary to ensure all items of equipment are fully inclusive, we must provide disabled children with choice, and a high level of quality in their play equipment.

At Proludic we believe it is vital to provide play for children of all ages and abilities. We recognise that not all items of equipment can be used by all levels of ability, but that multiple play functions should be introduced, so that a play area as a whole can cater for all those that use it. This is why at Proludic we design play items that are ’inclusive’ rather than ‘exclusive’. For example our Pod Swing that can accommodate many children together of varying ages and ability, encouraging social play and interaction.

When designing a new play area we strive to include the following

• Clear access
• Hard standing surfacing
• A high level of play value
• Sensory activities
• A social experience

It is important to remember that not all of the play value in a play area needs to come from the equipment itself. Children of all abilities can get pleasure from sensory planting, natural boulders and play sand surfacing.

Creating an inclusive area is about becoming aware of all the different children who use it, and what we can provide for them to give them the ultimate play experience.

To further establish a best practice approach to ‘accessible’ play area design Proludic have brought in Victoria Turner from KIDS. She has recently worked with the Proludic Design and Sales Team to further enhance their play area design capabilities; the intensive design workshop was aimed at creating better inclusive play areas.

“Our latest efforts will enable our design team to understand the current agenda on inclusivity and maintain the highest standards of designs that meet the needs of all children”
Dave Bailey – Proludic Marketing Manager

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