Designing for Inclusive Play : Accessibility

How can you design your next play space to enable children, parents, carers, and others to use and move around the space easily?

A well-designed play space should ideally provide people of all abilities the opportunity to move throughout the play space safely and independently. This can include solid pathways, rest areas and shaded areas to cool down. Budget and size restraints may limit the possibility of these options.

Pathways & Surfacing

• Surfacing pathways should be solid and level where possible, leading to different areas and activities of the play space.
• Key pathways should be at least 1.5m wide to allow for wheelchair access
• Pathways should lead to shaded areas and any other amenities.

The Spinmee Roundabout is flush with the rubber softfall surfacing, allowing for children in wheelchairs to easily board the roundabout.

Reach Ranges

Research has shown that it is not enough for a child to see, they must also be able to touch / feel to be engaged. Children should be able to interact with the play features, any wayfinding signage and surrounding tactile input with their hands.

• Placing play panels, musical equipment, sand tables etc at varying heights to accommodate children who have different reach range.
• Ensure that a child who is using a wheelchair can access the play equipment and features by sitting at / under them. Reaching forward can be more enjoyable and doable than reaching to the side.
  
  

Transfer Platforms

Transfer platforms allow a child or adult who is using a mobility aid such as wheelchair, to transfer to and from the aid independently and use the play space more easily.  Transfer platforms are a great alternate to wheelchair ramps where there may not be enough space available for the ramp.

The Hags UniPlay Range feature a variety of units with a dedicated transfer platform allowing for easy onboarding onto the Play Unit from a wheelchair or mobility aid

Austek Play’s approach

We pride ourselves on being passionate about bringing Inclusive Play into Australian Parks and Schools. Our most popular products for inclusive play provide a rich range of physical, sensory, and social play values.

Follow Austek Play on LinkedIn for the latest information on Inclusive Play and the playground industry or contact us to get in touch and see how we can make your new play space more inclusive!

Click here to view our brochure, which contains a snapshot of Austek Play’s Inclusive Range!